The ''Admission Temporaire/Temporary Admission'' (ATA) system, an international customs document that permits temporary import of professional equipment and goods for exhibition, will be available for Pakistan''s exporters and press and media equipment from October 1, 2007.
Munir Qureshi, Chief Collector of Customs (South), will inaugurate a two-day ATA carnet implementation workshop here on August 21 and 22, which will be conducted by Mrs Lee Ju Song, Director, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), who is a leading expert in customs facilitation and ATA carnet. Currently, the system is in operation in 63 countries, and Pakistan will be the 64th country to adopt this system from October 1, 2007.
ATA carnets cover commercial samples, and professional equipment and goods for trade fairs and exhibitions. The service is available to business and sales executives, exhibitors at trade fairs and travelling professionals, such as crews, architects, artists, engineers, entertainers, photographers, sports teams, and many more.
Large companies, small companies, individuals on the move, all can benefit. Sales representatives with valuable samples and people with professional equipment are the largest users of ATA carnet.
Over the last 44 years, the carnet system has spread from just a few West European countries to most of the industrialised world, including a growing number of developing countries and emerging economies. In 2006, some 158,000 carnets were issued world-wide, covering goods valued at almost $15 billion.
In 1961, the Customs Cooperation Council (CCC), forerunner of the World Customs Organisation (WCO), adopted the ''Customs Convention on the ATA carnet for the temporary admission of goods''. The customs conventions, corresponding to the three main categories of goods covered by the system, are:
Commercial samples: The Gatt international convention to facilitate the importation of commercial samples and advertising material (Geneva 1952).
Professional equipment: The CCC''s customs convention on the temporary importation of professional equipment (Brussels 1961).
Goods for presentation or use at trade fairs, shows, exhibitions or similar events: The CCC customs convention concerning facilities for the importation of goods for display or use of exhibitions, fairs, meetings or similar events (Brussels 1961). ATA carnets cover almost anything--computers, repair tools, photographic and film equipment, musical instruments, industrial machinery, jewellery, clothing, medical appliances, old masters, prehistoric relics, ballet costumes and rock group sound systems--that could cross borders free of duty and taxes.
ICC Pakistan is the authorised national guaranteeing and issuing organisation for ATA carnets in Pakistan as per the rules notified by the Federal Bureau of Revenue and facilitated by the Ministry of Commerce.