ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) will suspend licences of bonded carriers in cases where their clearing agent licenses are suspended or revoked by the licensing authority.
The FBR has notified SRO 803(I)/2022 to issue the draft amendments to the Customs Rules, 2001, here Tuesday.
According to the draft amendments, in case the clearing agent license of the bonded carrier issued under Chapter VIII of the Customs Rules, 2001 is suspended or revoked by the licensing authority, the license to operate as bonded carrier shall also stand suspended or revoked and vice versa.
The licensing authority may revoke or suspend a license or permission of any transport operator for one or more of the following reasons:(i) The licensee has made or cause to be made in any application for any license or permission under this chapter, or report filed with the customs, any statement which was, at the time and in light of the circumstances under which it was made, false or misleading with respect to any material fact, or has omitted to state in any such application or report.
(ii) The licensee has been convicted at any time for larceny, theft, robbery, extortion, forgery, counterfeiting, fraud, concealment, embezzlement, fraudulent conversion, or misappropriation of funds.
(iii) The licensee is involved in any manner, including but not limited to, abetting, facilitating, substitution or replacement, removal, pilferage, tampering with transport units or seals etc. of en route transshipment or transit cargo.
(iv) The licensee has knowingly employed, or continues to employ, any individual who has been convicted of any offence.
(v) The licensee, in the course of its customs business, with intent to defraud, has in any manner, willfully and knowingly deceived, misled or threatened any client or prospective client; or violation by the licensee.
(vi) Attempt by the licensee to influence the conduct of any employee in the Custom House, custom station, port, airport or en route transit or transshipment of cargo by, the use of force, intimidation, false accusation, duress, bribery or by offering any special inducement or gift.
The licensing authority may, after issuing show-cause notice to the licensee, forfeit the whole or part of the security deposited by the licensee for the settlement of any duty, taxes or any other charges due from him, the FBR added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022