All-Pakistan Dry Ports Association (APDPA), which met here on Saturday under chairmanship of its Chairman, Malik Muhammad Anwar, demanded that Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Sohail Ahmed, should order for immediate setting up of the "Customs Care System" at all up-country dry ports, enabling the exporters/importers to file the declarations of their goods while sitting in their offices and factories.
Malik Muhammad Anwar said that if the 'Customs Care System' was available at Karachi Ports then why it could not be introduced at Dry Ports. The meeting further demanded that the import of industrial raw material and chemicals be made mandatory to be cleared at the Dry Port where these shall be consumed in the local industry.
The meeting was of the view that due to certain benefits being provided by Customs at Karachi Ports, the importers prefer to get the clearance of their import cargo from Karachi although the exemptions to them are granted by Customs Officials of Dry Ports. The Federal Board of Revenue should, therefore, formulate an equilibrium policy in this regard.
The APDPA lamented that the Custom officials at Karachi Ports and those deputed at up-country Dry Ports have their different methods for implementation of the Federal Laws, which should be uniform.
Chairman, Sialkot Dry Port Trust, Nadeem Anwar Qureshi and Officer Commanding, NLC Dry Port, Lahore, Lieutenant Colonel Raja Asif Mehdi (Retd), demanded that the existing government rules and laws should be implemented in letter and spirit and there should be no discrimination or use of arbitrary powers by Custom officials while implementing these rules.
It was decided in the meeting to approach the Federal Board of Revenue for uniform implementation of rules/laws at all seaports and Dry Ports. Regarding issuance of B/L locally, the meeting fully endorsed the proposal of Malik Muhammad Anwar that the Bill of Lading be issued by the Shipping Lines when the export container is dispatched from up-country Dry Ports to Karachi.
The meeting decided that a delegation of the Association would visit Karachi and hold meetings with Minister Ports and Shipping, besides meeting the country heads of various shipping lines to thrash-out and finally decide this vital issue. The meeting further decided to move the FBR to make it mandatory for the Licensed Manufacturing Bond Holders to rout their imports as well as exports through their nearest Dry Ports from where they have got the Manufacturing Bond License from the Customs.
The Association also urged the Karachi Ports and Terminal Operators to exempt their charges on Cargo cleared from up-country Dry Ports because the Dry Ports already receive charges from the exporters and when the export cargo containers reach Karachi, these are subjected to "Dual Charges" by Karachi Ports and Terminals who simply hand over these custom cleared cargo containers to Shipping Lines.
The meeting observed that Shipping Lines should immediately waive off these dual charges in case of Dry Ports Cargo. The meeting demanded of the government to allow freight subsidy to up-country Dry Ports on their export cargo and this facility should not be extended on Export Cargo being sent direct to Karachi by the regional exporters. The meeting also demanded that the Customs Karachi should not refuse the TP to Industrial Units located in up-country and having their head offices at Karachi so that their blocking by Customs Karachi in such cases should be avoided.
On request of Multan Dry Port & Pakistan Custom Agents Association, Karachi, the meeting demanded of FBR to immediately amend the 'Trans-shipment Rules' allowing sharing of "Poll of Vehicles" by all the bonded carriers and Dry Ports. Chaudhry Muhammad Siddique, former Chairman, Nasar Hayat General Manager, Sardar Akhtar, Secretary, FDPT, Major (R) Jawaid Mussarat, G M Multan Dry Port and Khalid Butt, G M Sialkot Dry Port also attended the meeting.