PESHAWAR: The Collectorate of Customs (Enforcement) Peshawar surpassed the assigned target of Customs Duty for the financial year 2020-21 by a hefty margin of Rs122.24 million which comes to 12.39 percent.

However, according to an official communiqué issued here on Thursday, the current financial year 2020-21 revenue surpassed by a high margin of 69.78 percent against the correspondence period of last year during the FY 2020-21 by putting in all-out efforts to achieve the assigned targets in all important areas identified by the FBR.

In addition to regular/routine collection of duty/taxes, an effective strategy was devised to specially focus on areas to enhance revenue through administrative measures like auction, Anti-smuggling, as well as crediting of seized/confiscated currency into National Bank of Pakistan.

Moreover, this collectorate had also sent 17kg Gold to Mint House, Lahore for melting purpose in the month of April-2021 which is a greater source of generating revenue for the next year.

Besides, taking concrete measures towards facilitation of trade and ease of doing customs business, the measures taken on both revenues worked very well and the collectorate was able to achieve the assigned target in all areas besides trade facilitation.

As far as the revenue side is concerned, the performance of the collectorate is outlined hereunder. The anti-smuggling formation of this collectorate had seized Miscellaneous Goods worth Rs3711.49 million in the fiscal year 2020-21.

Similarly, Rs836.88 million has been collected through auction during the FY 2020-21. A number of facilitation measures were also undertaken by the collectorate during FY 2020-21, some of which are briefed as the Currency Declaration System (CDS) has been installed at Peshawar Airport and border customs station, Torkham which is facilitating foreigners.

Likewise, a separate PMDU Cell has also been created to redress grievances. Each complaint is addressed on a war footing basis and replied as per law. Till date 27 meetings of Border Task Force have been held by this collectorate.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021