KARACHI, March 18: The government is engaging the services of the foreign pre-shipment valuation contractor SGS to obtain verification of the prices of the imported goods from the country of the origin. This was disclosed by Mr Abdul Wadood Khan, the Director General of the Valuation and PCA, Central Board of Revenue, in a meeting with the leaders of the Pakistan Hardware Merchants? Association, Sindh-Balochistan circle. In this meeting the role the Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PRAL), a private sector subsidiary of the Central Board of Revenue came under fire. The President of the Pakistan Hardware Association, Sindh-Balochistan circle Mr Basit Alavi urged the customs to tighten PRAL to give the gross and net weight of all import consignments. ?This will help in eradicating many ills,? he hoped. He also expressed concern on the information that administration cost of the Custom?s valuation department was more than the revenue it generates. He questioned as to why the valuation system as per the WTO regime is not being fully implemented.

Mr Abdul Wadood Khan also criticized the PRAL for not providing full information and promised the businessmen to take up the issue with the authorities.

He informed the hardware merchants that a system of advance ruling is also being shortly introduced for all those importers who wish to obtain advance ruling on their imports.