ISLAMABAD, July 7: The value of dutiable imports increased by only 2.755 per cent during the year 2002-03 to Rs415.766 billion this year against Rs404.617 billion over the corresponding period of last year.

Official statistics released by Central Board of Revenue (CBR) here on Monday showed that the total imports value stood at Rs681.014 billion during the year 2002-03 against the total imports of Rs647.176 billion of the corresponding year, showing an increase of 5.22 per cent.

And the value of duty free imports registered a growth of 9.35 per cent during the year under review this year to Rs265.247 billion against the duty free imports of Rs242.558 billion of last year.

Officials told Dawn on Monday the increase registered in the value of dutiable imports over the last year resulted into collection of major duty under the head of customs this year.

It also resulted into an increase of sales tax and withholding tax collection, said the officials.

They said this year the customs collection registered a growth of more than 50 per cent over the last year due to increase in the imports.

The collectorate wise imports figures made available to Dawn showed that dutiable imports at Karachi custom house stood at Rs355.640 billion during the year 2002-03 against dutiable imports worth Rs345.528 billion of last year, showing an increase of 2.92 per cent. While the duty free imports of the same collectorate stood at Rs244.867 billion this year against Rs224.108 billion of last year, indicating an increase of 9.26 per cent.

The dutiable imports at Custom House, Lahore stood at Rs27.259 billion during the year under review against Rs24.169 billion of last year, registering an increase of 12.78 per cent. While the value of duty free imports of the same collectorate stood at Rs6.074 billion this year against Rs4.596 billion of last year, showing an increase of 32 per cent.

The value of dutiable imports stood at Rs6.028 billion at the collectorate of Hyderabad during the year 2002-03 against Rs3.610 billion of last year, showing an increase of 66.98 per cent. While the value of duty free imports at the same collectorate stood at Rs0.710 billion this year against Rs1.678 billion of last year, showing a decrease of 57.68 per cent.

The dutiable imports decreased by 41.981 per cent at the collectorate of Quetta during the year 2002-03 to Rs6.284 billion against the dutiable imports worth Rs10.831 billion of last year. While the duty free imports of the same collectorate stood at Rs1.659 billion this year against the imports of Rs1.368 billion of last year, showing an increase of 21.27 per cent.

The value of dutiable imports at Rawalpindi collectorate stood at Rs6.427 billion during the year under review this year against Rs6.923 billion of last year, showing a decrease of 7.16 per cent.

The dutiable imports declined by 13.8 per cent at the collectorate of Peshawar during the year 2002-03 to Rs6.976bn against the imports of Rs8.093 billion of last year. While the value of duty free imports at the same collectorate stood at Rs0.997bn this year against Rs0.474bn of last year, showing an increase of 110.33 per cent.

The dutiable imports value at collectorate of Multan stood at Rs1.575 billion this year against Rs1.232 billion of last year, an increase of 27.84 per cent; Faisalabad dutiable imports stood at Rs3.456 billion against Rs2.095 billion of last year, an increase of 64.96 per cent and Sialkot dutiable imports stood at Rs2.117 billion against Rs2.132 billion of last year, showing a decrease of 0.7 per cent.