Model Customs Collectorate (MCC), Appraisement, West, has found some of its appraising officers (AOs) and principal appraisers (PAs) involved in serious malpractices being committed in assessment group; it was learnt.The Collectorate was reported that certain AOs and PAs posted in assessment group were involved in routing Goods Declarations (GDs) to the assistant or deputy collectors of the concerned group without completing assessment thereon and without recording any remarks.
The same is gross violations of the official work procedure as an appraising officer is required to complete assessment of the GD when marked by the system in yellow channel; he does not have authority to mark GDs to the PA in an incomplete state and neither does the PA have such powers to mark GDs to officer in-charge of the group without completing assessment.
Sources said that they were also involved making themselves 'unavailable' in the system in order to stop the system from marking GDs to their inboxes besides detaining GDs without any cause or reason and without seeking permission of the officer in-charge of the group.
Furthermore, sources said that they remained unable to ensure getting their ID status changed to 'on leave' from the deputy collector (Administration) when proceeding on leave, causing great inconvenience to people whose GDs remain associated with their IDs and stuck/pending in the system instead of being routed automatically to another assessing officer who is available in the group.
Replying to a question, sources said that AOs and PAs used to make calls to traders during assessment and demanded speed money for consignments' clearance and if their demands were not entertained, these customs officers called irrelevant documents and delayed consignments' clearance with no reason leaving the traders with no option but to grease their palm in order to avoid additional financial burden of demurrages and detentions.
Keeping the above-mentioned in view, the Collectorate has directed that any appraising officer or principal appraiser who was reported to be involved in such malpractices in future shall be proceeded against for inefficiency, indiscipline, and misconduct under the relevant government rules and ordered the additional collectors to ensure compliance of these instructions and ACs/DCs of the group shall report the names of deviants to collector office directly.
Sources said that Chief Collector Appraisement Rasheed Sheikh had taken serious action against the corrupt AOs and PAs; adding that he also recovered around 3 million cash from the office of one of the offices of AOs and PAs. Resultantly, some AOs and PAs, who have strong political and bureaucratic connections, are said to be the mafia in customs department.