QUETTA: The Model Customs Collectorate (MCC) Quetta collected Rs22.9bn during 2017-18, surpassing the annual target of Rs18.136bn set for the fiscal year. This shows a growth of 42pc in collection against the amount of Rs16bn during the last year.

Collector Customs, Quetta, Ashraf Ali shared this while talking to newsmen here on Monday. “We have successfully surpassed our annual target and collected an additional amount of Rs4,764 million,” he said, adding that customs duty collection rose to Rs8,984m and sales tax to Rs9,785m, exceeding the respective annual targets of Rs7,016m and Rs8,066m.

Similarly, against the withholding/income tax target of Rs2,756m, the MCC Quetta collected Rs3,758m while the Federal Excise Duty (FED) collection amounted Rs372m against the annual target of Rs298m.

He said the unprecedented revenue collection has been made possible with enhancing surveillance on clearances at customs stations of Taftan, Chaman and NLC Dry Port Quetta, facilitating bona fide trade, strengthening of customs check-posts en-route and speedy disposal of seized goods and vehicles through auctions.

Ali revealed that Rs1,491m were realised on account of disposal of seized goods/vehicles during the year. He informed that concerted anti-smuggling efforts led to impounding of 871 non-duty paid vehicles, seizure of miscellaneous goods and foreign-origin diesel/petrol worth more than Rs1,945m as compared to Rs1,350m seizures during the corresponding period of the last fiscal year, registering an increase of 44pc. 3000kg of narcotics having more than Rs50m were also seized during the year.

He said that MCC Quetta has planned to expand the reach of customs controls to inaccessible areas by establishing new stations at Badini, Qamar-ud-din Karez and Ghaznali at the Pak-Afghan Border.

“Further efforts are also underway to improve the quality of customs clearances through enhanced internal controls, making the processes transparent, the use of technology for speedy clearances of goods, expanding the coverage of the customs computerised system for providing a secure business environment.

In this regard, high speed internet has been installed at custom house, Chaman and Taftan,” he added.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2018