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Karachi, Tue October 31, 2017

KARACHI

WAQAR ANSARI

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ustoms Collectorate of Appraisement West has generated Rs 54.98 million under the head of customs duty, sales tax, income tax and federal exercise duty during Rirst 27 days of October.

Sources told Customs Today that Customs Appraisement West collected Rs 16.65 million under the head of customs duty, Rs 14.58 million under the head of sales tax, Rs 12.77 million under the head of income tax and Rs 10.98 million as federal excise duty during 27 days of the current month of Riscal year 2017-18. It is necessary to mention here that Customs

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Collectorate of Appraisement West generated Rs 34 million under the head of customs duty, sales tax, income tax and federal exercise duty during Rirst 20 days of October included collected Rs 10.58 million under the head of customs duty, Rs 8.29 million under the head of sales tax, Rs 8.90 million under the head of income tax and Rs 6.23 million as federal excise duty.

ASO impounds 56 offending vehicles & smuggling items valued at Rs112.63

Appraisement West collects Rs 34 million duty, taxes

DC Shahzad issued show cause notice to owner of NDP cloth

Billions saved in development projects: CM Shehbaz

Peshawar Customs takes lead by generating Rs528.88 million

ASO took into possession 56 oďŹ&#x20AC;ending vehicles, 11 NDP and smuggling goods | See pAge 02 |

Appraisement West has generated Rs 34 million under the head of customs duty | See pAge 03 |

Adjudication DC Shahzad issued a show cause notice to the owner NDP cloth | See pAge 04 |

CM said that the Punjab govt has set new precedent by saving billions of rupees | See pAge 11 |

MCC Peshawar has collected Rs528.88million extra revenue | See pAge 16 |

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Appellate Tribunal IR functioning sans registrar for five months Tuesday, October 31, 2017

ISLAMABAD: Despite lapse of months, the Ministry of Law and Justice has not appointed registrar of the Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue (ATIR). According to the information available with ministry’s online pages, the ministry had yet not appointed a new registrar of the Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue. Hence, the oﬃce of registrar at Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue is lying vacant for over a period of ﬁve months. It is noteworthy here that former registrar of ATIR, Zahid Habib relinquished the post on September 10 following the orders by Ministry of Law and Justice.

Islamabad

ASo impounds 56 oﬀending vehicles & smuggling items valued at Rs112.63

customs I&I generates Rs 60m through auction of NDp vehicles, goods ISLAMABAD

ISLAMABAD

cuStomS BuLLetIN RepoRt

tARIQ DeRYA

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irectorate General Customs Intelligence and Investigation of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) generated Rs 60 million through successful biding of nonduty paid smuggled vehicles and goods. Talking to Customs Today, Deputy Collector Afzal Wattoo said that on the directions of Director General the department tried hard to ensure maximum number of people participate in the auction. He said that arrangements were made to allow the general public to take benefit of this auction. He said that “we have already launched a campaign on social media and invited trade union organizations and chambers of commerce in the bidding.”The process of biding was conducted in a very transparent manners by the Deputy Director Customs I&I Rawalpindi Afzal Wattoo and Deputy Director Headquarter (Legal) Zaheer Abbas. The auction was held under the supervision and directions of Director General Customs Intelligence and Investigation Shaukat Ali and Additional Director Abdul Waheed Marwat. A large numbers of General public participated in auction process.

he Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) Islamabad took into possession 56 offending vehicles, 11 Non-Duty-Paid, and smuggling goods worth Rs112.63million during the 1st July to 15th of October Financial Year 2017-18. According to details explained by Majid Hussain Gadd, Assistant Collector, Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) Islamabad, that, during above said period, the Islamabad customs squad, under the supervision of Dr. Saeed Khan Jadoon, performed very well. During the 1st July to 15th of October FY17-18, the ASO Islamabad impounded 56 offending (Vehicles used for carrying smuggling goods) vehicles valued at Rs61.00million while the ASO took into possession 11 Non-Duty-Paid (NDP) vehicles priced at Rs30.53million. Assistant Collector stated that, during above said period, the ASO conRiscated various kinds of smuggling items, most of them from GT Road Peshawar-Rawalpindi. The ASO seized smuggling goods worth Rs21.10million. Majid Hussain Gadd told CT that the ASO Islamabad impounded 47 offending vehicles and seven NDP vehicles including various kinds of smuggling items priced at

Rs88.19million during the 1st-Quarter (July to September) Financial Year (FY) 2017-18. He is optimistic that the ASO will fare well during the 2nd-Quarter (October to December) FY17-18 and add handsome amount of revenue to the exchequer of the Customs Department. Meanwhile, The Anti-Smuggling Organization Islamabad impounded a big quantity of foreign origin

smuggling black tea, gear boxes and many other smuggling items along with an offending vehicle worth Rs4.5million on Friday (20th of October) on National Highway. According to details given by sources of the Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) Islamabad that, on a tip-off, the ASO established a picket on Peshawar-Rawalpindi GT Road and intercepted a Bedford truck bearing

registration No: Z-1617 Peshawar. Inspector Asif Mehmood of the ASO, during a thorough search of the offending vehicle, found a huge quantity of 1,740-kg of foreign origin gear boxes, 960-kg of engine blocks, 04 slander, for LTVs, 230-kg of wheel hubs, 4,080-kg of miscellaneous old and new auto parts, 500-kg of foreign origin copper scrape and 70kg of black tea.

Ihc hears cases filed against field oﬃces of fBR

ISLAMABAD

NAeem uLLAh tARIQ www.customsbulletin.com

he Islamabad High Court (IHC) benches held the hearing of various customs cases during third week of October involving Rield ofRices of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). In this regard, IHC bench comprising Justice Shaukat Aziz and Justice Mohsin Akhtar dated in ofRice hearing of M/s Pakhtoon’s customs cases till November 10 and di-

rected parties to provide record pertaining to the case prior to next date of hearing. The appellant had Riled the case against Collectorate of Customs, Islamabad. The bench also directed FBR field office, MCC and the appellant to submit record of the case in order to assist the court. Justice Aziz’s single bench also heard another customs case filed against MCC by Ehsanur Rehman. Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Miangul Hassan relisted acustoms ref-

erence for hearing. IHC bench issued directives in this regard while hearing a case against Customs Appellate Tribunal. M Zubair, the appellant had challenged tribunal’s decision before the bench. Meanwhile, the bench dated in office hearing on M/S Dancom Pakistan’s case. M/S Dancom Pakistan had filed the case challenging an announcement made by the Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue (ATIR)-through which it had sustained decision announced by the

department’s adjudication pertaining to the show cause notice to M/S Dancom Pakistan for outstanding tax recovery. Through both the references, M/S Dancom Pakistan had named Chief Commissioner Inland Revenue, LTU, Assistant Commission Inland Revenue Withholding, LTU, Commissioner Inland Revenue (Appeals), LTU, and Federal of Pakistan through the chairman of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) as respondent in the case.

Show-cause notices had been issued for the tax year 2016 in head of income tax under sections of income tax ordinance, 2001. M/S Dancom Pakistan had prayed the court to direct LTU not to recover the said amount and abstain from any coercive action in this regard. The petitioner had prayed the court operation of the impugned notices issued by the tax authority may kindly be suspended till the decisions of appeal pending before the LTU.

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Rs250 duty imposed on Rs15k smartphones The Board levied regulatory duty on 731 import items, of which 331 were new goods while 307 were subject to a higher duty in the range of 5% to 30%. The FBR’s decision was aimed at balancing the increasing gap between imports and exports since the country imports one million handsets every month. However, industry experts say the duty on mobile phone sets will hurt the information technology sector as it will encourage smuggling of handsets as the incentive for illicit trade has increased with the levy.

Appraisement east detects tax evasion of Rs 12.56m by m/s farooq traders

Tuesday October 31, 2017

Karachi

Appraisement West collects Rs 34 million duty, taxes

KARACHI

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he Model Customs Collectorate of Appraisement East has unearthed tax evasion of Rs 12.56 million in the clearance of electronics items imported by M/s Farooq Traders. Source told Customs Today that the Collector Appraisement East Ashadd Jawad directed the R&D section to verify the post clearance consignments of the importer M/s Farooq Traders. During the scrutiny, it was found that the said importer willfully used Green Channel in the clearance of two consignments of electronics items and caused a loss of Rs 12.56 million to the national exchequer in terms of duty and taxes.

Shc seeks remarks on petition filed by m/s Rk Shippers KARACHI

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he Sindh High Court (SHC) has adjourned the hearing of a constitutional petition filed by M/s RK Shippers Karachi, seeking restoration its license suspended by customs oﬃcials. A two-member bench, comprising Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Omer Sial, was hearing the petitioner. During the hearing, counsel for the parties sought time to file comments, therefore, the court adjourned the matter. On the last date of hearing, the court had directed petitioner to submit surety of Rs 250,000 and nazir will issue an appropriate certificate and the license of the petitioner will be revived and restored as customs agent. Earlier, counsel for the petitioner stated that it has imported eight containers of ceramic tiles from China and filed goods declaration according with law.

KARACHI

WAQAR AhmeD ANSARI www.customsbulletin.com

ustoms Collectorate of Appraisement West has generated Rs 34 million under the head of customs duty, sales tax, income tax and federal exercise duty during Rirst 20 days of October. Sources told Customs Today that Customs Appraisement West collected Rs 10.58 million under the head of customs duty, Rs 8.29 million under the head of sales tax, Rs 8.90 million under the head of income tax and Rs 6.23 million as federal excise duty during Rirst 20 days of the current month of Riscal year 2017-18. It is necessary to mention here that Customs Collectorate of Appraisement West generated Rs 23.27 million under the head of customs duty, sales tax, income tax and federal exercise duty during 14 days of October, including Rs 7.85 million under the head of customs duty, Rs 5.89 million under the head of sales tax, Rs 5.55 million under the head of income tax and Rs 3.98 million as federal excise duty. Meanwhile, Collector Model Customs Collectorate of Appraisement West Shahnaz Maqbol has taken notice of delayed clearance of consignments at Karachi International Containers Terminal (PICT) and directed the additional collectors and deputy collectors to take actions against those ofRicials who are involved in delaying the examination

and assessments of the imported consignments. Sources told Customs Today that some importers and traders met the collector at her ofRice and informed her about the issues and problems being faced by the importers at the terminal during the examination and assessment of imported consignments. The importers were of the view that the examination and assessment ofRicers at the terminal were adopting delaying tactics, which is ultimately

customs Appraisement West collected Rs 10.58 million under the head of customs duty, Rs 8.29 million under the head of sales tax, Rs 8.90 million under the head of income tax and Rs 6.23 million as federal excise duty during first 20 days of the current month of fiscal year 2017-18

court adjourns hearing of donkey hides case

KARACHI

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ustoms Court Judge Syed Faiz Rasool Rashdi has directed counsel for the accused persons to prepare and Rile comments on the next date of hearing in a case of attempting to smuggle donkey hides worth Rs 124,650,000 from Lahore to Karachi. The hides were to be smuggled to China. According to the prosecution,

local police recovered 4,986 donkey hides which were stuffed in 642 bags. The operation took place at a shop located in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Block-12 and arrested a Chinese citizen Tu-Zhong Xiao, Syed Ehtisham Zaidi, Muhammad Faisal Bhutto, Muhammad Jumman, Zeeshan Jan, Daniyal Rahman, Afshan wife of Ehtisham and absconders accused Muhammad Bilal, Muhammad Farooq and Muhammad Rafique alias Rafi. After formalities, police

handed over them to the customs department for FIR and further investigation. During the investigation, it was revealed that the hides were brought illegally from Lahore to Karachi to be smuggled to China. “There were about eight hides in one sack and one hide is sold for approximately Rs 25,000. As per interim challan, investigation ofRicer informed the court that China is using donkey hides to produce medicine named Ejiao, which is useful in blood-related disease.

increasing the cost of doing business as they have to pay extra charges in terms of demurrage and detention charges. The Collector Appraisement West assured the importers that their grievances would be redressed shortly adding that the Collectorate would ensure best possible facility to the trade according to rules and regulations. It is 0porters are facing problems for clearance of consignments at Karachi International Containers Terminal for last few weeks.

fBR imposes 50% RD on cosmetic items he Federal Board of Revenue, through SRO 1035(I)/2017, has imposed 50 percent regulatory duty on import of cosmetic items. Experts said that the imposition of regulatory duty on such products would enhance burden on beauty industry and cost would be passed on to general public.

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ASF seizes 1.5kg heroin, currency from passenger at Lahore airport Tuesday October 31, 2017

Lahore

LAHORE: The Airport Security Force (ASF) has arrested a passenger and recovered 1.5kg heroin from him at Allama Iqbal International Airport. As per reports, Latif Hussain, resident of Narowal, was going to Karachi by PIA ﬂight Pk-303. When he reached the airport, ASF oﬃcials recovered heroin from his baggage. The accused had concealed the drug in hidden parts of his baggage. During the preliminary investigation, the accused told ASF authorities that he was supposed to smuggle this drug to Saudi Arabia from Karachi. The ASF handed over the accused to the Anti-Narcotics Force for further action.

fto adjourns hearing of appeal filed by m/s Amber capacitor LAHORE

SAJID NAWAZ

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he appeal of Amber Capacitor Private Limited has been adjourned till next date. The refund case was filed before the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) against Corporate Regional Tax Office (CRTO) Lahore. As per details, FTO Advisor Mian Munawar Ghafoor heard the complaint in which the counsel for the appellant argued that the CRTO has not released the refund to the appellant for the last two years. He said that the CRTO collected excessive tax from the appellant during the last two years. The company approached the ofRicer concerned many times for issuance of refunds but the department did not pay the refunds after the pas-

customs Appellate tribunal hears 13 cases he Customs Appellate Tribunal (single & double) bench heard 13 cases and adjourned all the cases to different dates and reserved the verdict of few cases. According to the details, division bench-II comprising Member Judicial Omer Arshed Hakeem, Member Technical Imran Tariq, heard eleven cases, including Directorate of Post Clearance Audit (PCA) Lahore versus Fasna Impex, Directorate Post Clearance Audit (PCA) Lahore versus Chaudhary Flower, Adnan Communications Four appeals versus Customs Lahore. On Wednesday, the same bench heard cases filed by Sohial & Brothers versus Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation Multan, Directorate Post Clearance Audit (PCA) Lahore Hayadat Sons, Roshan Packages versus Customs Lahore. –CB Report

sage of a reasonable time. Finally, the appellant decided to approach the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO), seeking interference in this case. The counsel appealed the FTO advisor to direct the commissioner of CRTO to clear the refund claims. The counsel further said that the delay in issuance of refunds put burden on the taxpayers, adding that the RTO should make audit of the cases and release the extra amount collected by it from the taxpayer. On the other hand, counsel for the CRTO argued that the appellant has not submitted all the record in the ofRice on the basis of which it is claiming refund. If appellant provides accurate record, the CRTO will release the refunds, if any, after a proper assessment, he maintained. After hearing the arguments from both sides, Advisor of FTO adjourned the case and directed the parties to appear on the next date of hearing to present arguments in the case.

Dc Shahzad issued show cause notice to owner of NDp cloth LAHORE

m hAYAt

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ollectorate of Customs Adjudication Deputy Collector Shahzad Liaquat Ranjha issued a show cause notice to the owner of non duty paid cloth. As per details, in pursuance of a secret information, customs staff of ASO intercepted one person opposite Akbari, Police Station, Circular Road, Lahore alongwith 30 bales of foreign origin cloth waiting for some conveyance. The person available with the bales identified himself as Ahmad Azeem. On query he claimed the ownership of the intercepted bales of net cloth. The detailed examination of the 30 bales resulted in recovery of foreign origin 100 percent Polyester net faric in Rolls brand. Kasab

Textile Trading (30 rolls). On demand the above said person produce copy of Goods Declaration GD No. KAPW-HC-96093 which is not connectable due to change description, the intercepted bales of cloth is 100% Polyester Net Fabric in Rolls, Brand Kasab Textile Trading. Now the ba-

sis of the above reports, the respondents namely Ahmad Azeem is charged with Section 2 (s) of Import and Export act. Customs ASO team impounded the entire bales of cloth and after registering a case against the owner forwarded the case to Customs Adjudication department for further proceedings.

customs court puts oﬀ under-invoicing customs tribunal reserve verdict of two cases case; name of accused put on ecL he Customs Appellate Tribu- Intelligence and Investigation Faisal-

he Special Federal Court of Customs Taxation and AntiSmuggling has adjourned the hearing of an alleged tax evader for Monday whose post-arrest bail plea was approved. The name of the accused has been put on the Exit Control List. Accused Muhammad Saqlain was involved in an underinvoicing in the import of goods. He was arrested while trying to Rlee the country. Last month, customs court granted his bail against the surety bonds of Rs 500,000. Accused

Saqlain had paid his bonds of Rs 500,000 and had been freed from the jail. Meanwhile, the Special Court of Customs Taxation and AntiSmuggling on Tuesday heard 16 cases including pre-arrest bail pleas Riled by suspects. Most of the cases were put off without any proceedings as the parties and lawyers concerned did not appear before the court. Hearing of pre-arrest bail pleas Riled by accused Abdul Razaq and Salman were adjourned for new dates in the next week. –CB Report

nal (single & double) bench heard 11 cases on Monday adjourned hearing of nine cases to different dates and reserved the verdict of two cases. According to the details, division bench-II comprises Omer Arshed Hakeem, Member Judicial and Imran Tariq, Member Technical, heard eight cases, including Saeed Buksh versus Customs Lahore, Jamil Brothers versus Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation Multan, Customs Lahore versus Abdul Hassan and Ramzan Afzal versus Directorate of

abad. On Monday, the same bench heard cases Riled by Customs Multan versus Muhammad Amin, Al-Hamra Fabrics versus Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation Faisalabad, Noor Ali versus Customs Lahore and Muhammad Sadiq versus Customs Lahore. The single bench-II comprising Omer Arshed Hakeem Member Judicial heard three cases including Customs Lahore versus Tasawar Hussain, Directorate of Post Clearance Audit (PCA) Lahore versus M/s ANQ Traders and customs Lahore versus Muhammad Javiad. –CB Report

Levy of regulatory duty on imported items lamented

LAHORE

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he Government of Pakistan through their notiRication dated October 2017 has imposed Regulatory Duty vide SRO 1035 (I)/2017 on many items. Pakistan Electronics Manufacturer’s Association (PEMA) ofRice bearers

while talking to media said that PEMA represents the interests and viewpoints of the “manufacturers” of electronics and home appliances goods in Pakistan and we have a long term investments and commitment to our country. We would like to register our strong objections on both on the contents of the said SRO and also the manner in which this decision has been taken by the government. He said the federal govern-

ment has taken this decision in haste, unilaterally and without consultation with any of the stake holders, especially the industry. If at all the imposition of this regulatory duty was inevitable, the relevant authorities should have rationalized the items to be selected, the percentage of Duty to be imposed should have been cascaded and adequate time for industries to hedge their exposures and manage their produc-

tion inventories should have been given. This measure reRlects the ad-hoc culture of our policy makers and denies the industries of our country to have any level of trust and conRidence on the affairs of their Government. The real objectives of the federal government in imposition of regulatory duty has been communicated to be reduction of imports and raising of additional revenues for the Government exchequer.

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HYDERABAD

ASLAm ANJum QuReShI www.customstoday.com

he Customs Collectorate , Hyderabad Dry Port and Sukkur division has collected Rs 1031.410 million revenue during the Rirst 26 days of current month against the assigned target of Rs 1181.270 million during the month of October 2017-18 According to details Hyderabad and Sukkur division has collected customs duty Rs.303.922 million (CD) sales tax (ST) Rs 686.364 million income tax (IT) Rs.37.068, million FED Rs 4.056 during the 26 days month of October 2017-18 The major tax sources including Bonded Warehouse SWH and KPR Hyderabad M/s Rema Cooking Oil and the Pakistan State Oil. The Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) also seized non-duty paid goods worth million of rupees during the month. Of October 2017-18 .The Customs Collectorate Anti-Smuggling Organization, (ASO) also impounded non duty paid vehicles including four oil tankers Rilled with 1000 liters of smuggled Iranian High Speed Diesel (HSD), foreign origin non duty paid Gutka cigarettes of different brands and cloths, auto parts, mobile phone and other

contraband items worth million of rupees were also conRiscated during the month of September till October 2017-18. Sources told that under the supervision of Collector Akhlaq Ahmad Khattak, Additional Collector Dr Aamer Nawaz hamid Deputy Collector Basat Hussain Deputy Collector Dry Port Kalimullah , Principal Appraiser Mashuq Ali Panhwar, Appraiser Ashir, Appraiser Tabassum and Superintendent Statistical Revenue played an important role in revenue collection, ofRicials said. They added that the antismuggling campaign is in full swing in the region following the direction of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Collector Akhlaq Ahmad Khattak in order to enhance the

s ion ha r divis u k k u 922 dS s.303. ad an R b y a t r u e hyd toms d St ) Rs ed c us t c e s tax ( l l e l a ) co s ) ax (It n (cD ome t c millio n i n 56 llio Rs 4.0 64 mi n feD 686.3 o i l l i of 068, m month s y a Rs.37. d the 26 -18 during r 2017 e b o t oc

revenue generation resources. Meanwhile, The Model Customs Collectorate has received Rs 808.632 million during of October 2017-18 against the assigned target of Rs 1181.27 million during the month of October 2017-18 According to details, Hyderabad and Sukkur divisions have generated customs duty of Rs 234.395 million, sales tax of Rs 541.922 million, special FED on imports Rs 4.056 million and withholding tax (WHT) of Rs 28.259 million during 17 days of October 2017-18. Sources told Customs Today that Customs Collectorate generated this amount from SWH, dry port, Hyderabad Bonded Warehouse, SWH State Warehouse, Export Hyderabad and KPR (Zero Point) and also from M/s Atlas and M/s Pakistan State Oil (PSO). The Customs Collectorate Hyderabad, Anti-Smuggling Organization, (ASO) also impounded non duty paid vehicles including three oil tankers Rilled with 85000 liters of smuggled Iranian High Speed Diesel (HSD), foreign origin non duty paid cigarettes of different brands and cloths, auto parts, mobile phone and other contraband items worth million of rupees were also conRiscated during the month of September.

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Tuesday, October 31, 2017

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Founder & Chairman Zulfiqar Ali Editor Rahil Yasin editor@customsbulletin.com.pk For advertising & subscription marketing@customsbulletin.com.pk www.customsbulletin.com Phones: 042-35781643-4, Fax: 042-35781645 Address: 627, Siddiq Trade Centre, Gulberg, Lahore

eDItoRIAL

potentials of construction industry

he construction industry is regarded as the engine of growth for any economy and it plays a significant role in the development of a country. Economists believe the construction industry could have a share of up to 60 percent in gross fixed capital formation if it is fully managed on modern lines. At least 80 industries are directly or indirectly associated with the construction and housing sector. It is very crucial sector which ensures not only economic development, but also employment generation. According to a report of the Economic Survey of Pakistan, the industry has registered a growth of over 9 percent during the financial year 2016-17 and contributed 2.7 percent to the gross domestic product of the country.The sector has great potential to attract foreign direct investment as the construction industry has received a net inflow of $35.7 million in August 2017.BMI Research, a research firm which provides macroeconomic, industry and financial market analysis, covering 24 industries and 200 global markets, has put the growth outlook for the sector at 11.8 percent annually for 2016-20 and 9.1 percent over 2016-25.The construction of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has boosted the construction industry. China has emerged as the largest contributor of the foreign direct investment in Pakistan which is mostly in the domain of infrastructure development. The other countries are also taking interest in the infrastructure projects, but the government has to create opportunities for local and foreign investors. The construction industry is safe for foreign investors as it also involves real estate sector which is booming in the country. Though the government has reduced duties and taxes on building materials like steel, construction machinery and equipment, withholding tax on banking transactions has bulldozed everything. The economists believe that with all positive indicators in the industry, the overall political instability and high cost of doing business in Pakistan are keeping the foreign investors at bay. The mega projects could not attract the local and foreign investment which it should have to be in the current situation.

uS threats to pakistan T

LAHORE

DR AftAB AfZAL

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he tough talks of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during his brief visit to Pakistan should be an eye-opener for Islamabad which has so far meticulously handled its relations with that country. The threats emanating from Washington since Donald Trump took over as the president has further drifted apart the two countries and in the words of Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, a trust deRicit prevails between the two countries and tons of ice has frozen the bilateral relations which would take time to melt. It is all the fault of the past rulers who bowed to the US pressure

and had accepted every demand whether reasonable or unreasonable. They had failed to stand up on their feet as leaders of a respectful nation and were used to give rosy welcome to Af-Pak envoy, who deemed themselves as viceroys. The term Af-Pak itself was insult to the Pakistani nation, but the past rulers crossed all limits of shame. The spineless leaders did whatever the US demanded them to do and the situation now has reached a point where the new US administration has started claiming Pakistan as its colony. The new US administration issues orders like a boss and none others but we Pakistanis have given them the opportunity to act in the manner.

Pakistan has also been held hostage to the international Rinancial institutions most of which work and operate under the inRluence of the United States. But the time has come the leadership should come out of the hibernation and set a new tone of its foreign policy to play its role in the international diplomacy. It is time to learn from two close friends of Pakistan, Iran and Turkey, which have kept themselves away from all kinds of the US pressure and their foreign policy is based on national honour and dignity. The Pakistani economy is resilient and US could not do much to damage it in the new world order which is not devised by Washington but is a product of circumstances. The European Union, Russia, and several

others countries have successfully adopted independent foreign policies and have refused to toe the line of the United States. Still Pakistani nation does not want any confrontation with the United States, but is not ready to own its failures in Afghanistan where it has installed its puppet government and has military bases to Right Taliban. Pakistan has already lost over $100 billion to its economy and 100,000 souls, but instead of appreciation for the sacriRices, it is being threatened. The leadership should now make it clear to the United States that diplomatic relations could be curtailed to minimum levels or even could be broken if this kind of threats continued to be hurled from Washington.

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Customs Court extends bail of suspects involved in tax evasion KARACHI: Customs Court Judge Syed Faiz Rasool Rashdi extended pre-arrest bail of suspects namely Khurram Iqbal, proprietor of M/s Khurram Steel Mills and Syed Muhammad Rizwan, proprietor of M/s Unique Enterprises, who were booked in a case of evasion of duty and taxes of Rs 13,036,512. Earlier, counsel for the accused persons appeared before the court and argued that his clients were innocent and were falsely implicated in this case, who were ready to face trail. However, they had apprehension of their arrest, therefore, the court might grant them bail till ﬁnal decision of the case. After his arguments, court granted them bail against the surety of Rs2,00,000 and issued notices to special prosecutor for customs department and investigation oﬃcer. Court also had directed the suspects to appear before the court on next date of hearing.

18,000 firms registered in Shanghai ftZ since establishment

Tuesday October 31, 2017

National

Shc seeks comments on petition filed by 15 importers against VR No. 874/2016

ISLAMABAD

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early 18,000 firms have registered with the customs authorities in the Shanghai free trade zone (FTZ) since it was launched four years ago, Shanghai Customs said. The figure doubled the number of companies that were already operating in the four bonded zones that merged to become the Shanghai FTZ in September 2013, bringing the total now operating within the zone to more than 27,000, the customs said. Of the newly-registered companies, 13,600 are privately owned, more than 3,200 are wholly foreignfunded businesses, and 940 are

Chinese-foreign joint ventures. The companies cover 54 industries. Some 94 percent are wholesale or retail firms, while 5 percent are financial enterprises. The rest mainly concern transportation, storage and postal businesses. The surge in company registrations has helped boost trade in Shanghai despite trade gloom nationwide. In the first three quarters this year, foreign trade in the Shanghai FTZ rose 16.2 percent year on year to 997.6 billion yuan (150.2 billion U.S. dollars). When the Shanghai FTZ was launched it streamlined procedures for business registration. Companies can obtain licenses to operate in the zone in three working days of applying, compared with 40 working days in the previous bonded zones.

KARACHI

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KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the customs ofRicials to Rile their comments on a constitutional petition Riled by 15 importers against determination of customs values of “Ceramic and Porcelain Tiles” over and above 12.5 percent of the Valuation Ruling No 874/2016 by Director General of Valuation. A two-member bench, comprising Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Umer Sial, heard the matter. During the hearing, counsel for the customs department sought time for Riling comments, and therefore, the court adjourned the matter. Earlier, counsel for the M/s Excel International Ventures, M/s Sulehri Brothers, M/s Marhaba Marble & Granite Tiles, M/s NS Traders, M/s Vesper Tiles Centre, M/s Adil Traders, M/s Al Nafes Trading Company, M/s Fazal Tiles & Sanitary Wares, M/s Home Solutions and others stated that they are engaged in import and trade of goods having desperation “Ceramic & Porcelain

Tiles”, they were informed by the customs department that Director General, Directorate General of Customs Valuation, Customs House Karachi revision proceedings under section 25 D wherein the DG having no jurisdiction of customs values of subject good over and above 12.5 percent of the valuation ruling no

874/2016 dated 22/06/2016. Citing Chairman Federal Board of Revenue, Collector of Customs Collectorate West, Collector of Customs Collectorate East, Collector of Customs Collectorate Port Muhammad Bin Qasim and Director General, Directorate General of Customs Valuation, Customs House Karachi as re-

spondents, petitioners pleaded the court may declare that act of the respondents is illegal, mala Ride and arbitrary, they also pleaded the court may restrain the customs department from collection of enhanced valuation till Rinal decision of their petition and any coercive measures against the petitioner.

cpec enters 2nd phase of industrial development KARACHI

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ith energy and infrastructure projects nearing completion, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has now entered the second phase where industrial development would take place by setting up Special Economic Zones (SEZs), opening a new era of trade and industrialization in Pakistan. In this regard, from October 1118, 2017, Chinese experts and investors were in Pakistan to explore new trade avenues and investment opportunities in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in all the four provinces, the federal capital and special regions of the country, according to a study report of Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad

(ISSI). The delegation of Chinese experts held workshops and meeting in Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Islamabad organized by the Board of Investment (BoI), following which the delegation also visited the industrial zones which are under construction in Punjab, Sindh, Rawalpindi, Gilgit-Baltistan and Gwadar Port Industry Zone in Balochistan. During the meeting of Expert Group of Industry, Chinese experts reviewed implementation process of the SEZs that were at the centre of a long-term CPEC framework and were considered critical for Pakistan’s industrialization. China urged Pakistan to expedite work on the nine prioritized SEZs in order to achieve full beneRits from the second phase of CPEC. The comprehensive discussion between both the sides mainly focused on an incentive package for

relocation of Chinese industry, opportunities available with export promotion zones, identiRication of industries to be set up in SEZs, terms of engagement for establishing the SEZs and human resources development through technical education. Besides, the both sides agreed to treat equally all investors, pouring capital into the planned nine SEZs, which would address concerns of the local business community about preferential treatment of the Chinese. The meeting emphasized that SEZs were open for all foreign Chinese developers, and enterprises could enter into joint ventures with local developers and investors to ensure successful cooperation. This is a major development as it ensures that the industrial development under CPEC would not harm local industries rather augment their industrial ca-

pacity through state-of-the-art technology and expertise, enabling higher productivity to meet the high global standards. The planned nine SEZs with incentives for investors and developers are scheduled to be operational by 2025. According to ofRicial sources, the provinces have been asked to complete feasibility studies in a month so that the plan could be placed for approval before the seventh CPEC Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC), scheduled to meet by end of November, 2017. Thus, Pakistan needs to complete the work on SEZs on a fast track in order to get the maximum beneRit from the second phase of CPEC. The SEZ package offers over half a dozen more incentives to the investors who will invest in CPEC zones. It proposes to cover 50 percent of the mark-up cost of loans that the investors will take.

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Superintendent Ghulam Haider to retire on March 9 Tuesday October 31, 2017

National hasnain Brohi assumes charge as commissioner-IR (opS) (hRm)

ISLAMABAD: Ghulam Haider, a Pakistan Customs Service officer of BS-17, is going to retire from the government service on attaining the age of superannuation. The officer, presently posted as Superintendent at Model Customs Collectorate, Gilgit-Baltistan, will stand retired from the government service on March 9, 2018. Meanwhile, Masood-ul-Hassan, a Pakistan Customs Service officer of BS-17, has retired from the government service on attaining the age of superannuation.

palwasha Syed assumes charge as deputy collector

ISLAMABAD

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ISLAMABAD

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asnain Brohi, a BS-19 officer of Inland Revenue Service, has assumed charge as Commissioner-IR (OPS) (HRM). The officer, in pursuance of Board’s Notification No. 2508-IR-I/2017, dated 08.09.2017, took the charge of the post of Commissioner-IR (OPS) (HRM), Large Taxpayers UnitII, Karachi with effect from October 10. Meanwhile, Ameer Ahmad, a Pakistan Customs Service officer of BS-18, assumed the charge as Assistant Collector. The officer, in pursuance of Board’s Notification No. 2720-C-II/2017 dated 28.09.2017, relinquished the charge of the post of Assistant Collector, Model Customs Collectorate of Appraisement, Lahore with effect from October 2 and took the charge of the post of Assistant Collector, Model Customs Collectorate, Faisalabad on October 6.

tariq Iqbal assumes charge as Deputy commissioner-IR ariq Iqbal, a BS-18 officer of Inland Revenue Service, has assumed the charge as Deputy Commissioner-IR. The officer, in pursuance of Board’s Notification No.2628-IR-I/2017 dated 20-09-2017, took the charge of the post of Deputy Commissioner-IR at Regional Tax Office, Islamabad with effect from October 5. Meanwhile, Ahmad Saeed, Chief Accounts officer, has been assigned to look after accounts & budget-related work of the Model Customs Collectorate of Appraisement (East), Karachi. The officer, presently posted at Model Customs Collectorate of Exports, Custom House, Karachi, was given assigned to look after accounts & budget-related work. –CB Report

alwasha Syed, a Pakistan Customs Service ofRicer of BS-18, has assumed the charge as Deputy Collector. The ofRicer, in pursuance of Board’s NotiRication No. 2720-C-II/2017 dated 28.09.2017, relinquished the charge of the post of Deputy Collector, Model Customs Collectorate of Preventive, Lahore with effect from October 4, 2017 and assumed the charge of the post of Deputy Collector, Model Customs Collectorate of Appraisement, Lahore on the same date. Meanwhile, Muhammad Nauman Tashfeen, a Pakistan Customs Service ofRicer of BS-18, has taken the charge as Deputy Collector. The ofRicer, in pursuance of

Board’s NotiRication No. 2720-CII/2017 dated 28.09.2017, relinquished the charge of the post of

Deputy Director, Directorate of Training & Research (Customs), Lahore with effect from September 29

and assumed the charge of the post of Deputy Collector, Model Customs Collectorate, Sialkot on October 4.

ASo Islamabad impounds vehicles & contraband items valued at Rs40.55m T

ISLAMABAD

tARIQ DeRYA

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he Anti-Smuggling Organization Islamabad took into possession various types of contraband goods, Non-Duty-Paid and offending vehicles worth Rs40.55million during 14th to 20th of October Financial Year 2017-18. Majid Hussain Gadd, Assistant Collector Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO), told Customs Today that the ASO Islamabad showed satisfactory performance during above said period. During October 14, to 20, 2017-18, the ASO took into possession eight offending vehicles valued at Rs7.17million. During above said period, the ASO conRiscated four Non-DutyPaid (NDP) vehicles worth Rs28.18million whereas the ASO Islamabad did 3,245 kilogram of foreign origin fabric valued at

Rs1.8million. The ASO seized different kinds of foreign origin other smuggled goods worth Rs3.4million. Assistant Collector said the ASO Islamabad impounded seven offending vehicles

and various types of foreign origin smuggling goods valued at Rs12.12million during 7th to 13th of October FY2017-18. During 7th to 13th of October, the ASO seized 2,973 kilogram of foreign origin

fabric priced at Rs1.55million whereas it did 250,000 fake foreign origin cigarettes valued at Rs0.78million while it conRiscated a variety of smuggling items worth Rs3.19million.

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E&T Department impounds 310 vehicles SARGODHA: The Excise and Taxation (E&T) Department, during its weekly campaign against vehicles without fitness certificates and without approved number-plates, confiscated 310 vehicles from various points in the district. According to E&T Director Shahid Faridi, over 1,675 vehicles were checked during the campaign and 230 impounded for having illegal number-plates and not having complete documents. Besides 36 vehicles were impounded over fitness certificates and 44 unregistered vehicles. He said that 12 teams of the E&T Department were conducting operations at various points in their areas.

pIA to operate on commercially viable routes only: Senate KARACHI

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dviser to the Prime Minister on Aviation Division Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Abbasi informed the Senate Special Committee on Performance of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) that the national flag-carrier would operate on commercially viable routes only. “The PIA has decided in principle that it would operate on commercially viable routes only to minimize financial loses and make the organization a profit earning entity,” he said in the committee meeting, chaired by Syed Muzaﬀar Hussain Shah. He admitted that PIA’s performance was not up to the mark, for which the current management was not responsible as it inherited several issues from the past regimes over the years. The adviser said PIA was being

strengthened by inducting more aircraft in the fleet and improving its services, requesting the parliamentarians “to do criticism on PIA performance, but avoid passing negative remarks as these affect its business, credit and reputation.” Committee member Mushahid Ullah Khan said the PIA fleet was consisted of 16 aircraft only when the present government came into power in 2013, while now its 37 planes were operating for different local and foreign destinations, out of which four were with engineering department for necessary maintenance. Committee Chairman Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah expressed anger over non-submission of required information by the PIA management even after a period of eight months. He constituted a sub-committee, comprising Farhatullah Babar, Col ® Tahir Hussain Mashhadi and Numan Wazir, to probe the alleged sale of PIA Airbus A-310 to a German firm in violation Public Procurement Regulatory Authority rules, which would submit its report in a period of two months, fixing responsibility.

National

Sialkot customs, ASf foils bid to smuggle heroin to Saudi Arabia

customs tribunal hears diﬀerent references in third week of october ISLAMABAD

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ustoms Appellate Tribunal continued hearing of customs references during third week of October while issuing directives for preparation of final arguments and submission of record in number of cases. Member, Ziauddin Wazir of Customs Appellate Tribunal directed parties to finalize arguments in couple of customs matters and dated in oﬃce hearing. The tribunal was hearing cases involving Collectorate of Customs and Directorate General of Intelligence and Investigation, Islamabad. Ziauddin Wazir was hearing cases filed by M/s Chief Autos and M/s Fazal Razaq. Ziauddin Wazir had also heard a number of along with Justice (r) Malik Manzoor Hussain. The bench had heard M/s National Highway Authority’s case which had challenged a decision announced by MCC’s collector customs before the tribunal. The bench had reserved decisions on M/s Waseem Autos and M/s Nisar Traders cases. M/s Waseem Autos and M/s Nisar Traders had filed cases against Collectorate of Customs and Directorate General of Intelligence and Investigation, Islamabad.

SIALKOT

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ustoms team and Airport Security Force(ASF) foiled a major attempt of smuggling heroin from Sialkot to Saudi Arabia via Dubai at Sialkot international airport here. According to the Sialkot airport management, the customs and ASF officials checked a suspect Asif Butt (resident of Narowal) and recovered as many as 1.8 kilograms fine quality heroin, hidden in the secret portion of his bag. The worth of the seized 1800 grams of heroin was stated to be millions of rupees. Sialkot airport management said that the accused Asif Butt , resident of Narowal, was trying to smuggle this heroin from Sialkot to AlRiyadh Saudi Arabia via Dubai while traveling to Dubai through an international airline Fly Dubai flight No.(FZ 338)from Sialkot international airport here. ASF has handed over the accused to the Anti Narcotics Force(ANF), which has sent the accused behind the bars after registering a case against him. Further investigations were underway, in

Tuesday October 31, 2017

this regard. Meanwhile the Ambassador of Norway in Pakistan Tore Nedrebo visited the offices of Sialkot Municipal Corporation. Norwegian Ambassador met with Mayor Sialkot Ch. Tauheed Akhtar and discussed in details the matters of mutual interest. Mayor gave him detailed briefing about the unique export

culture of Sialkot and Sialkot’s socio-economic and human development. Both, the Norwegian Ambassador Tore Nedrebo and Mayor of Sialkot Ch. Tauheed Akhtar , stressed the need of making sincere joint efforts to provide the improved municipal facilities to the people of Sialkot, revealed a press release issued here.

priority of govt to execute textile policy, 2014-19

ISLAMABAD

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inistry of commerce and textiles would execute the textile policy, 2014-19 on priority to facilitate and provide ease of doing business for the growth of textile industry in country. In revised Prime Minister Package of incentives for exporters approved by Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet in order to provide duty drawback of taxes collected exporter units and extends to whole Exports Processing Zones (EPZs) in the country, senior ofRicial of Ministry of Commerce

and textiles said. “We want to revive the conRidence of the textile sector through ‘Trade Enhancement Package’ amounting to Rs 162 billion for the textile industry, announced by former Prime Minister.” he said. Senior ofRicial said that 50 per cent of the rate of drawback shall be provided without condition of increment and remaining 50 per cent of the drawback rates shall be provided, if the exporter achieve an increase of 10 per cent in export during Riscal year 2017-18. He added that an addition 2 per cent drawback shall be allowed for exporters to non-traditional mar-

kets including Africa, Latin America, non European Union countries, Common wealth of independent and Oceania. He said that the refunds payments through PM “ Trade Enhancement Package” would pays to the industry according to deRines criteria in due dates. Replying to a question, he said that now uninterrupted energy supplies to the textile sector provided and no complain received from any side. Senior ofRicial informed the committee that Rs 946 million was allocated in Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2017-18 for three different projects in textile

sector. He said that small incubator industry was also proposed for coming years Public Sector Development Program(PSDP) 2017-18 to persuade the young entrepreneur like Malaysia and vietnam. Replying to another question, he said Project development and innovation wing of the Ministry, has initiated the different projects of innovations, in this regard 1000 stitching units to be established in all district of the country. He said the government has provided uninterrupted electricity and gas to the textile sector, which proved to be a huge support for textile sector growth in the country.

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World Customs

Russian economy overcomes stagnation

MOSCOW: The Russian economy has overcome stagnation and its recovery is sustainable, President Vladimir Putin said at the investment forum. “Such a representation level [of foreign investors at the forum] once again underlines high interest in modern Russia and its potential and shows mutual aspiration for dialog and cooperation, which is a key condition for establishment and development of business ties and search for promising areas for capital investments. Russia particularly unveils such opportunities for cooperation now, when our economy has overcome stagnation and its recovery is sustainable.

Tuesday October 31, 2017

hk customs combats unfair trade practices at service centre

Dubai customs launches clients’ language guide DUBAI

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HONG KONG

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ong Kong Customs today arrested a male owner of a car beauty service centre suspected to have wrongly accepted payment, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO). Customs earlier received information alleging that a car beauty service centre in Tai Po had closed down suddenly and was unable to provide the relevant services after accepting payments, as well as failing to return the payments to customers. After investigation, Customs ofRicers today arrested a 40-year-old man. Investigation is ongoing and the arrested man has been released on bail pending further investigation. Customs reminds traders to comply with the requirements of the TDO and consumers to pro-

Bank of Ireland faces legal challenge ank of Ireland faces a legal challenge to its move earlier this year to fold its private banking arm into the wider group. Court documents show a directions hearing at the Court of Appeal will be held on December 15 at 11am. Bank of Ireland’s in-house merger took eﬀect on September 1, following approval from the High Court. However, the decision faces an appeal by a former client of the private bank, John Kelly, who was involved in a property investment with the bank in 2006. Mr Kelly’s solicitors outlined 10 separate reasons for opposing the merger, including an allegation that the High Court judge had failed to give adequate weight to “the fact that there was no urgency in the application for the approval of the merger”. Prior to lodging his appeal, Mr Kelly was pursuing a separate case against Bank of Ireland Private, contesting a decision to sell his 4pc stake in a Swedish oﬃce block. –CB Report

cure services at reputable shops. Under the TDO, any trader commits an offence if at the time of acceptance of payment, the trader intends not to supply the product or intends to supply a materially different product, or there are no reasonable grounds for believing that the trader will be able to sup-

ply the product within a specified or reasonable period. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years. Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the TDO to the Customs 24-hour hotline 2545 6182.

chinese zinc imports soar 368% in September, amid hedging moves

hina imported 77,198 tonnes of reRined zinc in September, an increase of 368% on a yearover-year basis and an increase of 17.7% from last month. The rise is being attributed in published reports to the reopened arbitrage window during that month and supply tightness in the domestic market. The jump in Chinese imports is more good news for zinc producers, which have seen the price of

the metal soar 23% this year, extending a 60% rise in 2016, as cuts in global mine supply and China’s crackdown on pollution and mine safety created a shortage. Zinc shortages are expected to persist in the next few quarters, keeping prices at the US$3,000 to US$3,500 per ton level. The move upward has prompted some companies to consider hedging in a move to lock in the recent price gain. –CB Report

language guide that includes the most popular English words with their translation and transliteration into Arabic has been launched at the Dubai Customs (DC) in order to help clients familiarise themselves with Arabic popular vocabulary. “A total of 5,000 printed guides will be distributed to clients, and electronic copies will be sent to 110,000 companies dealing with Dubai Customs,” said the Director of Corporate Communication Department, Khalil Saqer Bin Gharib. The initiative is a brain-work of Corporate Communication Department of Dubai Customs in cooperation with Dubai Customs Knowledge Club. He said,“This comes in line with Mohammed Bin Rashid’s Translation Challenge

Project which was launched by the Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in support of Arabic language.”Bin Gharib added that the electronic copy will be sent to 110,000 companies, and 59,000 users on their mobile phones. On his part, the Client Management Director, Edris Behzad, said that making clients happy is a priority and a daily practice at Dubai Customs He said,“The language guide will enrich the clients’ diction and help them communicate more easily in Arabic.” Meanwhile, Dubai Customs in partnership with OSN; the direct broadcast satellite provider in the Middle East and North Africa launched the first intellectual property educational electronic game. The new game uses virtual reality to raise awareness amongst the youth and kids around the importance of combating illegal counterfeit and pirated products.

uk economy grows 0.4% in third quarter

he British economy grew slightly faster than expected during the third quarter, as expansion in manufacturing and services offset a contraction in construction. Better-than expected growth of 0.4 per cent, compared with the consensus forecast of 0.3 per cent, removes one of the last potential barriers for the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee to raise interest rates for the first time in a decade at its November meeting. “For weeks, the Bank of England has been semaphoring that interest rates are heading up,” said Ian Stewart, chief

economist at Deloitte. “Today’s growth figures show that, despite the Brexit headwinds, UK growth is good enough to give the Bank the green light for a rate rise next Thursday.” UK government bonds fell sharply on the news. The yield on the two-year gilt the most-sensitive to interest rate expectations rose Rive basis points to 0.51 per cent, its highest level since the Brexit vote in June last year. The pound also jumped, climbing almost 1 per cent against the dollar, to $1.3247. The UK’s dominant services sector, which accounts for 80 per cent of the economy. –CB Report

philippines, Russia sign two military deals

MANILA

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housands of assault riRles and helmets were among the military gear Russia donated to the Philippines in a bid to widen its arms market in Southeast Asia at a time when Manila is seeking to diversify weapons systems, ofRicials said on

Wednesday. Manila received about 5,000 Kalashnikov riRles, 5,000 steel helmets, about a million rounds of ammunition for the riRles and 20 army trucks in a ceremony attended by President Rodrigo Duterte, who also toured one of Rive visiting Russian warships. The gift came a day after Russia and the Philippines signed two military pacts, including a sales contract with Rosoboronexport, a state-owned

vendor of Russian defense equipment. “We are looking at acquiring some equipment for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, but there are no speciRics yet,” Defense Secretary DelRin Lorenzana told Reuters. “We are still discussing.” Lorenzana said the Rosoboronexport contract was not a sales deal but signaled the Philippines’ intention to acquire small arms, vehicles and spe-

cial equipment for disaster operations. But the Philippines’ biggest source of arms, the United States, was not worried at the prospect of equipment donated by its rivals China and Russia. “I don’t attach very much signiRicance to it, some trucks or guns being dropped off to a country that’s Righting terrorists right now,” U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters on the plane to Bangkok.

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Five ships take berth at Port Qasim KARACHI: Brisk shipping was recorded at the Port where ﬁve ships C.V Maersk Denver. C.V MSC Algciras. M.V Nicosia Pegasus, M.V Sinar Kutal and M.T YM Mirando international Container Terminal, Grain & Fertilizer Terminal, Multi-Purpose Terminal and Engro Vopak Terminal respectively on Tuesday, October 10. Meanwhile two more ships. CMA CGM Narmada and Mu Don Song with containers and General cargo also arrived at outer anchorage of Port Qasim during last 24 hours. Berth occupancy was reported at the Port at 59% on Tuesday where a total of ten ships namely Maersk Denver MSC Algeciras, MSC Mars, New Ark. lifa, Nicosia Pegasus. Sinar Kutal, YM Miranda, Epic Sardinia and Maistros were occupied to PQA berths to load/oﬄoad Containers, Coal.

essar ports’ cargo handling up 19% in April-Sep ssar PortsBSE 0.15 % today said its cargo handling saw a jump of 19 per cent in the first half of the ongoing fiscal to 17.35 MT, backed by enhanced capacity utilisation of anchor customer Essar SteelBSE 0.41 %. “Essar Ports handled 17.35 million tonnes (MT) of cargo in the first half of 2017-18 fiscal, registering 19 per cent growth when compared to the cargo handling in the corresponding period in 2016-17,” the company said in a statement. It said the substantial growth in traﬃc came on the back of an improving steel market, leading to enhanced capacity utilisation of Essar Steel, which is Essar Ports’ anchor customer. The company said it also registered 7 per cent growth in cargo handling in the quarter ended September 30 when compared to the same period in the previous fiscal. “The first half of 2017-18, as well as

the second quarter of the current financial year, have been very promising for Essar Ports. We completed the monetisation of the Vadinar Oil Terminal (VOTL)… We are confident of further growth and performance improvements in the next two quarters, as we prepare to commission our project at Vizag,” said Rajiv Agarwal, CEO & MD, Essar Ports. Essar Ports – which has recently completed sale of VOTL to Essar OilBSE -0.15 % as part of Essar Oil s sale to Rosneft, and a consortium led by Trafigura and UCP – has three operational ports in Hazira, Vizag and Paradip. It said all three ports registered healthy growth in cargo handling in April-September. The company said the traﬃc growth was also helped by the 50 per cent increase in third-party cargo volumes during the said period. –CB Report

Ports & Shipping

port Nelson cuts wine industry carbon footprint

cabinet approves change in nomenclature of ministry of ports meeting of the federal cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Tuesday accorded its approval for change in the nomenclature of Ministry of Ports and Shipping to Ministry of Maritime. The cabinet also granted its approval to a number of agenda items placed before it during the meeting. The cabinet approved signing of Negotiated Draft Visa Abolition Agreement between the Government of Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Government of Italy for the holders of diplomatic passport, PM office media wing said in a press release. It granted approval to amend the existing convention between Pakistan and Sri Lanka for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on Income for updation of Article of Exchange of Information. The cabinet also approved proposal to amend the existing convention between Pakistan and Nepal, for the double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on Income for updation of Article of Exchange of Information. –CB Report

WASHINGTON

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he success of a Port Nelson initiative to reduce the carbon footprint of New Zealand’s growing wine industry, has been recognised with another national award. The company’s “QuayConnect” service has more than halved truck journeys between the port and the country’s largest wine producing region of Marlborough, since it began in February last year. Under the scheme, four trucks are dedicated to transporting empty bottles to Marlborough and full bottles back to the port, meaning trucks no longer travel one leg of the journey empty or only partly full. The transport model had saved 348,436 litres of fuel and 1,602 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in its Rirst year, the company said. Port Nelson’s CEO Martin Byrne collected the latest award from the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) in Auckland on

Tuesday October 31, 2017

Wednesday night. “Port Nelson is the main hub through which the vast majority of [New Zealand] wine travels around the country, and to the world,” said Byrne. “Sustainability is an important strand to the New Zealand wine brand story, so playing our part in reducing the carbon footprint of the country’s wine industry while dramatically improving logistics efRiciency, is extremely important to us.” New Zealand’s wine industry has overtaken seafood as the country’s Rifth largest export commodity. Wine was

an increasing priority as a customer sector, the company’s general manager of business development, Eugene Beneke, said. “As ‘New Zealand’s Wine Port’, it is important that we are close to the majority of New Zealand’s winemakers, while also offering fast and efRicient shipping lines to their key markets in Australia, the US, Europe and Asia.” Port Nelson’s wine-industry related volumes had hit a new high of 204,000 tonnes in the last Rinancial year, breaking the previous year’s record of 178,000 tonnes.

port of Virginia posts strong results for Sep WASHINGTON

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eptember container volumes at the Port of Virginia were strong , the third highest in 2017 after May, which broke the best-monthever record, and August. The port’s terminals moved 237,816 containers as measured in standard 20-foot units, or TEUs, a gain of 8.2 percent from the same month last year. Import-loaded TEUs rose 9.5 percent from a year earlier, while export-loaded units slipped 6.2 percent. Empty outbound TEUs were up 42.3 percent and empty inbound TEUs fell nearly 46 percent. “We are seeing continued growth in all of our trade lanes, good peak-season volume and anticipate a solid performance for the remainder of the year,” said John Reinhart, CEO and executive director of the Virginia

Port Authority, in a statement. Railcontainer volume in September was down 1.3 percent year-over-year, while truck-container volume for the month surged nearly 15 percent. To date this year, the port is on track for another strong Rinish. From January through September, total TEU volume was up 7.5 percent from the same period a year ago. For the same period, import-loaded TEUs were up 8.5 percent year-over-year. Meanwhile, The US ports that closed ahead of Hurricane Irma’s landfall are preparing to reopen, but with fuel stores low, many still without power, and roads and rail lines in disrepair, it will be days before shippers see supply chains in Florida and the Southeast totally restored. Already, analysts and transportation providers say the storm, which followed hot on the heels of Hurricane Harvey, could have lasting impacts on truck rates and capacity through Jan-

uary 2018. “It’s not just the Southeast,” Mark Montague, industry pricing analyst at DAT Solutions, said Monday. “There’s kind of a Rlow throughout the country. The prior week Chicago to Denver (spot truck pricing) was up. This last week we saw Chicago to Buffalo was up.” The six major ports, stretching from Miami to Charleston, that suspended operations during the weekend handle one out of every six containers entering and leaving North America, as well as signiRicant volumes of petroleum, diesel, and jet fuel that supply other modes of transportation in the region. Restocking fuel, in the short term, will be a priority throughout the region. “Hurricane Harvey is still sending ripples throughout the (US) market,” Daniel Cullen, vice president of advisory services at Breakthrough Fuels, said Monday. The impact on diesel supplies, however, has not been as bad as the drain on gasoline, a dis-

tinction not always made by the general media, he said. Florida’s Port Miami, Port Everglades, and Port Tampa Bay reopened Tuesday morning. The Port of Charleston in South Carolina also reopened Tuesday, after the port said it was spared the brunt of the storm. Meanwhile, the US Coast Guard was still assessing the condition of harbors at the ports of Savannah and Jacksonville, according to early morning updates. While Jacksonville remains closed, Savannah is anticipated to reopen later Tuesday or Wednesday pending that assessment. Port Everglades and Port Tampa Bay are critical for the state’s fuel supplies and Gov. Rick Scott said he prioritized opening those ports as soon as possible after the storm cleared. Although that may not be enough to support cargo hauls from distribution centers north of Florida, in cities like Atlanta and Charlotte, to population centers in South Florida.

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Repatriation on foreign investment increases by 27pc in Q1 Tuesday October 31, 2017

Business

KARACHI: The repatriation of profit/dividend by foreign companies operating in Pakistan has increased by over 27 percent in the first quarter of 2017/2018 as compared with the same quarter of the last fiscal year. According to statistics issued by State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the repatriation against foreign investments increased by 27.55 percent to $427 million during July – September 2017 as compared with $334.6 million in the corresponding quarter of the last year.

‘Billions saved in development projects’ ISLAMABAD

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unjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif on said that the Punjab government has set new precedent by saving billions of rupees in development projects through good governance. He said that no example could be presented of such great savings in the 70 years history of Pakistan. The CM said that in the past, resources of nation were looted mercilessly but the PML-N government spent all funds with honesty. He said that the old system of exploitation has been buried by es-

ogDcL earns Rs17 b profit in Q1 ISLAMABAD

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tablishing model cattle markets. He said the common man is getting affordable, comfortable and modern

meezan Bank records 15% growth in profits during 9 months

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il and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) has earned Rs 17.009 billion profit during first quarter of the current fiscal year as compared to Rs 14.631 billion in the same period. According to financial results announced by the OGDCL Board of Directors, the company’s net sales revenue increased to Rs 43.962 billion compared to Rs 39.565 billion in the corresponding period of last year. “While, OGDCL’s profit after tax stood at Rs 17.009 billion compared to Rs 14.631 billion.

transport facilities through metro bus service and such services would also be provided through the

Orang Line Train. He said that energy projects had not only been completed in record time period but real saving of billions of rupees had also been done. He said that 1320-MW Sahiwal Coal Power Plant was completed six months prior to the given date. He said ‘Patwari’ culture had been eliminated through Land Record Information Management System and the people could get documents of their land record instantly. He said that zero tolerance policy had been adopted to uproot menace of corruption and the place for the corrupt people is jail now. He said that reforms had been introduced in Punjab in sectors of education, health, transport, infrastructure, etc., and a lot of improvement in these areas had been witnessed.

M LAHORE

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eezan Bank has maintained its growth momentum and recorded good results for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2017. ProRit after tax increased to Rs 4,717 million from Rs 4,114 million in corresponding period last year reRlecting a healthy growth of 15 percent. The earnings per share (EPS) of the bank increased to Rs 4.70 as compared to Rs 4.10 in the

corresponding period last year. The bank maintained its position as the leading Islamic bank in Pakistan (amongst both Islamic as well as conventional banks) with a branch network of 571 branches in 146 cities. The Board of Directors of Meezan Bank in its meeting, held in Karachi on October 25, 2017 approved the unconsolidated Rinancial statements of the Bank and its consolidated Rinancial statements for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2017. The meeting was presided by Riyadh S. A. A. Edrees – Chairman of the Board, Faisal A. A.

A. Al – Nassar – Vice Chairman of the Board also attended the meeting. The Board noted with satisfaction that on October 4, 2017 the bank successfully completed the 6 percent Right Issue of shares to the existing shareholders at a price of Rs 50 per share (inclusive of Rs 40 as premium per share). The Bank’s equity (including share premium) has increased by Rs 3 billion after the Right Issue. This increase in equity will support the Bank’s growth plans. The Bank’s Capital Adequacy Ratio now stands at a comfortable level of 13.6 percent.

Rs4.15b released for providing electricity to 5,000 villages MULTAN

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he federal government has issued over Rs 4.15 billion to the Multan Electric Supply Company (Mepco) for providing electricity to over 5,000 villages of South Punjab. General Manager Operation Mepco Engineer Sarfraz Ahmad on Friday said that the work to provide electricity to new villages was in progress with a rapid pace. He said the Mepco had provided electricity to 791 villages so far while electricity poles had been installed at 658 villages and transformers would be placed soon. As many as 546 schemes at a cost of Rs 430 million would be completed in Multan district, 129 schemes at a cost of Rs 80 million in Lodhran, 624 schemes at a cost of Rs 430 million in Khanewal, 197 schemes at a cost of Rs 150 million in Sahiwal, 263 schemes at a cost of Rs 200 million in Pakpattan, 674 schemes at a cost of Rs 530 million in Vehari, 1011 schemes at a cost of Rs 370 million in DG Khan, 63 schemes at a cost of over Rs 50 million in Rajanpur, 340 schemes at a cost of Rs 320 million in Layyah, 324 schemes at a cost of over Rs 270 million in Muzaﬀargarh, 854 schemes at a cost of over Rs 710 million in Bahawalpur, 522 schemes at a cost of over Rs 410 million in Bahawal Nagar and electricity would be provided to 189 new villages of district Rahim Yar Khan at a cost of Rs 160 million.

‘pakistan has achieved many milestones under cpec’ KARACHI

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ederal Minister for Interior, Planning and Development, Ahsan Iqbal, said that Pakistan has achieved many milestones under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects and removed main bottleneck for the development of the country. He was addressing the confer-

ence organized at Pakistan International Trade Fair (PITF 2017) here at the EXPO Centre. The Minister further said that Pakistan is rising and we assure the world that CPEC will facilitate the whole region. Under the CPEC many projects have been materialized and now exist on the grounds. He specially shed light on energy projects and said within a four years of time under CPEC project around 10,000 Megawatt energy projects

are in progress. Today, loadshedding has been minimized and industrial sector is being provided uninterrupted electricity and gas supplies. Under the CPEC we are working on many strategies including infrastructure development, energy generation, transport infrastructure as around US$ 35 billion earmarked for energy sector only. Today, CPEC is connecting whole Pakistan and within a short span of time Karachi and Hyderabad will be called as

twin cities as CPEC has shortened the distance between the both cities. Karachi-Peshawar Motorways will be completed by 2019. Karachi Railway project now has been made a part of CPEC. We have reduced the distance between Quetta and Gawadar under the CPEC. Its distance now has been reduced to only 8 hours long. He said many other beneRits are being materialized under the CPEC. Industrialists are happy and citizens can Rind more

job opportunities as compared to past. The Minister said energy, transport and infrastructure projects have triggered the progress and development of the country. The relocation of labor intensive from China would beneRit Pakistan to seize opportunities for bolstering local industry and subsequent recreation of millions of jobs’, he added saying that the relocation of industry from China would create employment opportunities.

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China defends trade with NK as permitted by UN BEIJING: China on Monday defended its growing trade with North Korea as permitted by U.N. Security Council sanctions that say they should avoid hurting “humanitarian needs.” China, the North’s main trading partner, “strictly implements” sanctions aimed at stopping the North’s pursuit of nuclear and missile technology, said a foreign ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang. Customs data show Chinese exports to North Korea rose 31.4 percent in August from a year earlier, while imports fell 9.5 percent. Beijing has pointed out the sanctions don’t prohibit food sales and argued against measures that might harm the North Korean public. The Security Council barred member governments on Aug. 5 from buying North Korean coal and seafood. Those penalties were expanded Sept.

IccI & Npc discuss to organize Islamabad festival ISLAMABAD

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Tuesday October 3, 2017

Chambers

entrepreneurs urged to focus on innovative clean tech products

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delegation of National Press Club Islamabad led by its President, Shakeel Anjum visited Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and discussed possibilities of joint ventures between both bodies to promote business and economic interests of the country. Speaking at the occasion, Shakeel Anjum, President, National Press Club and Afzal Butt, President, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists said that ICCI and NPC should join hands to organize Islamabad Festival to promote business activities in the region. They said that both bodies should also work together in organizing discounted sales events on important occasions like Holy Month of Ramadan to provide relief to the common man.

They said that ICCI and NPC should join hands in organizing budget seminars and training workshops for journalists. Sheikh Amir Waheed, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that ICCI was planning to organize an Industrial Expo in Islamabad in the spring season and NPC would be made media partner of that event. He said business community and journalists were playing important role in society and urged that both bodies should work together to give positive proposals to the government on budget, trade policy and other key economic policies. Muhammad Naved Senior Vice President and Nisar Ahmed Mirza Vice President ICCI said that NPC was cooperating in highlighting key issues of business community in print media and hoped that it would continue to do so that would help in resolving issues of traders and industrialists.

LAHORE

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heikh Amir Waheed, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that aspiring entrepreneurs should focus on innovative clean tech products to maximize business growth and achieve sustainable progress in business Rield. He was addressing as chief guest the “Business Clinic” organized by UNIDO in collaboration with ICCI under Global Cleantech Innovation Program (GCIP). Sheikh Amir Waheed urged that promoting innovative ideas and their commercialization, especially in the Rield of clean technologies offered great prospect for growth and aspiring entrepreneurs should come up with innovative clean tech solutions to excel in business Rield. He said that industry badly needed innovative solutions in various Rields including waste water treatment and renewable energy and entrepreneurs should come up with innovative cleantech products to address such issues. He assured that ICCI would continue to collaborate

with UNIDO in such programs to foster better growth of cleantech businesses. Speaking at the occasion, Ms. Nadia Aftab, UNIDO Country Representative highlighted the role of UNIDO in promoting sustainable industrial development in the country and its interlinkage with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) with particular focus on Goal 9 “Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure”. She thanked all the beneRiciaries who travelled from across the country to join UNIDO business

clinic and also thanked ICCI for collaborating in this important venture. The two day ‘Business Clinic’ was an event where the aspiring cleantech entrepreneurs came up with the problems in their business models and experts provided them best solutions of such problems. The experts were from the Rield business and technology with a proven track record of running tech based businesses. Under this program the innovators in the Rield of clean technology were encouraged to

IccI & fASt to collaborate on research projects ISLAMABAD

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he Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and FAST University have agreed to collaborate on conducting research projects for the beneRit of industry as the overall economy. This consensus was developed during a visit of FAST University students to ICCI. The FAST University students would conduct research focusing on investment in CPEC special economic zones and their impact on economy, information about CPEC from government departments, impact of SEZs on environment and regional trade. They would conduct study on the total economic zones being established in the country with focus on SEZs being established in Punjab under CPEC, types

of industries to be established in SEZs, incentives being offered to Chinese and Pakistani investors, procedures for setting up an industry and SEZs and any special incentive for local or foreigner investors. They would conduct research on the agreements between the central government and local governments for total investment under CPEC, investment in SEZs, information gap analysis, obtaining exact data/ information about CPEC agreements and its impact, when and how Pakistan will pay back amount invested by China in Pakistan under CPEC and whether there was any grant included in the investment. They would study how many international players/countries would be participating in CPEC and in which sectors. The study would also cover the initiatives taken by the government for spreading the information

about CPEC to private sector. The students would conduct study on the environmental impact of SEZs under CPEC, shifting of pollution creating industries from China in SEZs in Pakistan and what planning Pakistan government was making to address/control the pollution factors. The study on the impact of pollution in air, water and health hazards as well as the role of pollution control agencies e.g. EPA in controlling pollution factors would also be conducted. The research on the impact of Pakistan’s exports on regional countries after the full execution of CPEC projects, any new thing in the Pakistan Export Policy Framework as well as which new countries shall be focused in the new trade policy to increase Pakistan’s trade and exports would also be conducted.

commercialize their innovations so that the businesses, society, and economy could be beneRited from environment friendly innovations. UNIDO provides all necessary support like training, capacity building, access to capital to the innovators and helps them in launching businesses based on their innovations. The business clinic was part of the capacity building of teams and to discuss issues in business models where they were mentored by the experts of business and technology.

kccI slams imposition of RD on 713 items resident Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) Muﬀasar Atta Malik, while slamming the recent imposition of Regulatory Duty on import of 713 items, has demanded immediate withdrawal of the unjust Regulatory Duty imposed on essential items and industrial inputs. President KCCI said that although the step has been taken to plug the rapid decline on foreign exchange reserves but it was likely to have an adverse impact on the overall industrial performance and the economy as it will clearly trigger the inflation, promote smuggling and raise the cost of many products being produced locally. “FBR will lose a significant amount of tax revenue due to smuggling. –CB Report

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ASO Quetta seizes about 600-kg of hashish in midnight action QUETTA: The Anti-Smuggling Organization Quetta has conﬁscated about 600 kilogram of hashish (Charas) from Quetta-Chamman Road at Baleli Check-Post from a Mazda truck on 19th of October 2017. According to details explained by Zubair Shah, Additional Collector of Model Customs Collectorate Quetta, that, on the direction of Ashraf Ali, Collector Customs Quetta, the Anti-Smuggling Organization Quetta (ASO), following strict vigilance, intercepted a Mazda truck and recovered 600 kg of hashish.

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

CUSTOMS BULLETIN

peshawar customs takes lead by generating Rs528.88m extra revenue PESHAWAR IRfAN BAhADuR

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he Model Customs Collectorate Peshawar has collected Rs528.88million extra revenue during 23 days of October against Rs987.99million generated during the same period of time in previous FY2016-17, said by Customs ofRicial on Monday while talking to Customs Today at the Customs House Peshawar. The sources told Customs Today that Rs1516.87million has been received in 23 days of October, which is more than the revenue generated in the same period of time during previous Financial Year. The Peshawar Collectorate, which consists of nine customs stations, has showed extraordinary increase in the revenue collection during the current FY, which will lead the Peshawar Customs to surpass the revenue collection target of the current FY. The MCC Peshawar got Rs473.52million CD in 23 days of October for which the Peshawar Collectorate has strived to plug the revenue leakages. In the same manner, the MCC Peshawar collected Rs376.11million ST during 23 days of October in the cur-

rent FY 2017-18. The MCC Peshawar generated Rs123.11million revenue from ST on VM Palm Oil and Rs52.66m revenue from ST on VM Imports. The collectorate received Rs330.29million revenue by

net A.I.T in which Rs145.75million was got by A.I.T exports. The Peshawar Customs has collected Rs15.43million as Federal Excise Duty in first 17 days of October. Talking to Customs Today on Mon-

day, Collector Customs at MCC Peshawar Gul Rahman said that still there are issues, which need to be solved in order to enlarge the revenue collection amount of Peshawar Model Customs Collec-

torate. Torkham Customs Station has collected a net revenue of Rs558.12million during first 23 days of the current FY which shows the importance of trade done with Afghanistan, he added.

Sargodha fIu impounds non duty paid Isuzu prime truck SARGODHA

ZAfAR mALIk

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he Field Investigation Unit (FIU) Sargodha of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation has seized a non duty paid Prime Mover truck bearing registration no: TLA-041 (Sibi) model 1990 worth Rs80,00,000 involving customs duty and taxes to the tune of Rs 52,68,000. Sources

told Customs Today, that Deputy Director Muhammad Azam received information about some non customs paid vehicles are plying on the roads. He constituted a team comprising Superintendent Muhammad Tahir, Intelligence Officer Mansoor Nasir driver Tajamul Haq (havaldar) Muhammad Sajjad and Khalil Ahmed (sepoys). The FIU team intercepted Isuzu Prime truck near Shadia Sargodha Road Mianwali and asked the owner of vehicle who was identified as Muhammad Younas son of

Muhammad Amer Khan to produce legal documents regarding possession of the truck but they failed to provide any relevant documents. FIU team seized the truck and forwarded the case to Custom Adjudication for legal process. Meanwhile, The Anti Smuggling Organization (ASO) Sarae-Muhajir impounded foreign origin used Suzuki Jiminy Sierra jeep in blue colour. The market value of the impounded vehicle is Rs6,34,725 involving customs duty to the tune of Rs2,84,725. Sources told Customs Today,

that Assistant Collector Shah Samad Hamadani received information regarding about some non duty paid vehicles plying on roads. After receiving the information he immediately constituted a raiding team comprising Superintendent Chaudhary Muhammad Sardar, Inspector Muhammad Umar, Havaldar Muhammad Ashraf Khan, Sher Ahmad, Said Rasool and Faiz Ahmad (sepoys). The ASO team intercepted a Suzuki Jiminy jeep bearing registration no: BGD-1245 near Sara-e-Muhajir Chowk district

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Bhakkar and asked the owner of the vehicle namely Ansar Ali son of Munsib Ali to produce legal documents regarding possession of the vehicles. But the owner failed to show any relevant documents. After his failure the ASO seized the vehicle under section 168 of the Customs Act 1969 by adopting the legal formalities section 3 of the Sales Tax Act 1990 and section 148 of Income Tax Ordinance 2001. The ASO team seized the vehicle and registered a case against the accused person.