January 3, 2003	Friday	Shawwal 29, 1423

ISLAMABAD, Jan 2: The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO), Justice Saleem Akhtar, has directed the Central Board of Revenue (CBR) to advise all collectors of Customs to record the arguments and contentions of taxpayers in dispute cases carefully.

The Ombudsman recommended to CBR to direct the collectors to be more careful in discharging of duties of quasi judicial nature, according to the judgment of FTO issued on Thursday.

The FTO observed that all officers dealing with cases be instructed that where any party did not want to press any argument or give up any point, his clear statement to this effect should be recorded.

The compliance report should be produced to this office within 30 days of this order, said the FTO.

These decisions were taken at the complaint of M/s Qadri Impex, Gujranwala, who imported forty consignments of ceramic tiles for clearance through Sambrial Dry Port. They declared transaction values, which represented the price actually paid by them for the goods.

The Customs authorities at the port did not accept the declared value and four consignments were assessed to duty at value other than declared values, which according to the complainant was against the Customs Act.