Absence of inter-departmental co-operation between Pakistan Customs and Pakistan Standard Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) has caused increase in imports of substandard goods in the country; it was learnt here on Tuesday. According to sources, customs, which is required to collect samples of imported items, which fall in the ambit of quality tests, at ports, is releasing consignments on PSQCA's temporary delivery certificates.
They said that these imported goods were being released from ports on PSQCA's temporary delivery certificates and importers' undertaking for not selling these imported items in the market till the issuance of quality certificate from PSQCA. They said that customs authority had given a rationale for the said practice by saying that this decision aims at avoiding excessive financial burden of demurrages and detention charges, on importers.
Sources also alleged PSQCA for issuing temporary quality certificate, against undue gains, that allow importers to sell substandard goods in the markets without quality certificates. They said that customs department had restricted terminal operators to collect quality certificates from importers on behalf of customs department.
Resultantly PSQCA officials are issuing temporary delivery certificate to the importers for immediate release of consignments without lab tests, they said. "There is a complete nexus between all stakeholders including importers, PSQCA officials, terminal operators and customs officials as importers, who get released their consignments on temporary delivery certificate, obtain quality certificates from PSQCA on the samples purchased from market".
"The samples collected, from the market, by the quality control authority are for nothing but record-keeping purpose and importers get quality certificate without lab tests "against undue gains," sources maintained. Replying to a question, sources said that customs department was showing indifference to enforce mandatory requirement of samples' lab tests under its supervision with the best reason known to the department.
Sources further said that customs department had no records, which may prove that quality certificates of the consignments had been submitted in the customs department. Meanwhile, customs officials, on condition of anonymity, confirmed that there was no module in the WeBOC to monitor the submission of quality certificates by the importers. Therefore, the customs department has made terminal operators responsible for collecting quality certificates from the importers.
Talking to Business Recorder, senior vice president of All Pakistan Customs Agents Association, Arshad Jamal, claimed that powers to collect quality certificate given by the customs department to the terminal operators has opened the doors for corruption. He said that PSQCA is presently charging Rs 20000 to Rs 25000 as bribe from importers for the issuance of each quality certificate without sample's lab tests. He said that this illicit activity was being exercised, openly as customs department had no mechanism to monitor terminal operators and PSQCA officials.
He also urged the authorities concerned to make the collection of samples for quality tests, mandatory in the port area, so that no consignment could be released from port without samples collection. He said that PSQCA should also be restricted to complete its quality-test process including lab tests and the issuance of quality certificate within a week to avoid demurrages and detention charges from importers.
He said that PSQCA certificate should also be added in WeBOC for monitoring and punitive measures, including blockage of NTN of importers, should also be taken if importers failed to submit certificate with customs department. When contacted, Abdul Waheed, PRO PSQCA, was not available on phone for comments.