Exporters assured of expeditious clearance of consignments

LAHORE, Jun 22 (APP):A high powered Special Committee on Export Facilitation Scheme (EFS) constituted by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has assured exporters of expeditious clearance of export consignments, immediate payment of duty draw back claims and removal of all irritants in Export Facilitation Scheme.

The committee comprising Mohsin Rafiq Chief Collector Exports, Naveed Elahi Chief Collector Customs Lahore and Salman Afzal Collector Customs Lahore made this assurance during their visit APTMA office (Allah Pakistan Textile Mills Association) here Monday.

Chairman APTMA Kamran Arshad, senior members including M. I. Khurram, Anjum Zafar, Haroon Elahi, Muhammad Ali, a large number of textile exporters and Secretary General Raza Baqir welcomed them.

Mohsin Rafiq informed APTMA members that FBR has constituted a high powered team of senior officers to personally meet all exporters associations to identify system and procedural lacunas in EFS and consequently propose changes in the system, policy and procedure as and where required. He assured APTMA of removing all irritants in EFS and other customs procedures to facilitate exporters so as to relieve them from day to day hurdles and to spare them to focus solely and entirely on upsurging exports. He requested APTMA members to bring all issues to the knowledge of the Committee for consideration and resolution of the problems thorough legislative and administrative measures.

Talking high of the importance of exports in general and textile industry in particular, Naveed Elahi said that no stone would be left unturned in facilitating textile industry for promotion of exports. He added that from now onwards all cases for renewal of EFS authorizations would be processed on line and disposed of within 24 hours of submission of requisite documents. He continued that the option of auto removal of authorisation on the basis of past export performance is under consideration and expected to be launched shortly.

Customs Officers highly appreciated role of APTMA on boosting exports and opined that most of APTMA demands being genuine would be addressed at the earliest.

Earlier, APTMA Chairman Kamran Arshad pointed out abnormal delays taking place in renewal of existing EFS authorizations and fresh applications. He said cases for renewal of authorizations should not be referred to IOCO for redetermination of production capacity and Input Output ratios as law does not prescribe such exercise. He pointed out that the consignments of indirect exporters manufactured from raw materials imported under EFS are facing difficulties to be sold in the market as exporters are reluctant to buy such tax paid goods under EFS.

He added that audits are pending for long period and delay in release of PDCs/Guarantees costing financially to exporters and getting new quotas.

Kamran mentioned that a large number of CRF are pending since long with customs Automation Department, which is hindering smooth functioning of the EFS.

He said, deduction of taxes and duties is still being reflected at statutory rate instead of effective rates despite specific rulings by FBR, which is needed to be corrected.

APTMA proposed that both IORs and Analysis certificates should be issued automatically on the basis of ratios determined in past IORs and FBR Textile Notes.

Kamran claimed that despite fully automated EFS procedures, a parallel duplicate manual system is being run causing delays and adding to costs. Manual submission of documents should be stopped immediately, he stressed.

The Chairman APTMA said, Valuation Rulings are being unlawfully applied on EFS and exports, which are creating delays and irritants and required to be done away with.