KARACHI, June 5: Bonded carriers have stopped operations from Tuesday by not lifting transshipment and transit cargo to country’s dry-ports and to Afghanistan from the city’s two ports as a mark of protest against certain proposed amendments in the Finance Bill 2012-13.
As a result, outward movement of cargo from both the ports, Qasim and Karachi, came to a standstill.
About 400 to 500 containers are handled on average by bonded carriers for shipment to upcountry and Afghanistan.
The All-Pakistan Customs Bonded Carriers in an emergent meeting on Monday took strong exception to proposed amendments in clause 4(1) of the Finance Bill 2012-13 in the Customs Act 1969.
There are around 40 registered bonded carriers with the customs having a fleet of around 10,000 long vehicles to carry transshipment and transit cargoes from the city’s ports.
However, the proposed amendment in the Finance Bill 2012-13 through Clause 4(1) and Clause 4(7)(c) suggests that in case of any pilferage or disappearance (hijack) of cargo in transit or transshipment, the bonded carrier will be held responsible.
It also suggests that in case of such incident, the inland carrier (bonded carrier) will be liable for imprisonment for a term up to five years.
Customs sources told Dawn that chairman, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), on Tuesday intervened and appealed to the members of APCBCA to withdraw their call for strike, but there was no response from them.
Syed Shams Ahmed Burney, chairman APCBCA, said that the decision for strike was unanimous and will continue till the proposal is reversed.
Though the proposed amendment is yet to become law, it has shattered confidence of bonded carriers who feel that in case of any mishap they will be penalised.
The APCBCA members further argued that despite precarious law and order situation, no security is provided by the government to bonded carriers.
They felt it was possible for them to operate under such circumstances with added responsibility.
Mr Burney said that there are no such incidents of losses during transit and transshipment cargo movement on account of customs bonded carriers.
