QUETTA: Except Taftan and Ktaghar borders, the MCC Quetta has established customs stations along the international border of Iran to generate revenue and facilitate the business community.
According to details explained by Ashraf Ali, Collector, Model Customs Collectorate (MCC) Quetta, while giving an exclusive interview to the correspondent of Customs Today, that different customs check-posts at various stations of the MCC Quetta demonstrated outstanding performance during first seven months of current Fiscal Year 2017-18.
The Collector Quetta told CT that Balochistan is the biggest province of the country where MCC Quetta has set up various customs houses at different locations under its jurisdiction. The staff of the MCC Customs remains busy 24/7 in collection of revenue for the exchequer of the country after thoroughly checking the legal consignments of import and export under the customs bylaws. The MCC Quetta takes all possible measures against smugglers and other illegal businesses via international borders adjoining to Balochistan.
He informed CT that Balochistan has over 930 kilometer long border with Afghanistan and about 731 kilometer with Iran. To promote and facilitate the legal business via international borders, the MCC Quetta has set up customs houses at different locations along the border and established various check-posts. The collector explained that, besides check-posts and customs stations, the MCC Quetta provides maximum facilities to importers and exporters despite the fact that it has to control and manage the difficult and long border by discharging its duties efficiently for generating a large amount of revenue for the national exchequer.
Replying to a query, Ashraf Ali remarked that the customs check-posts of the MCC Quetta always performed admiringly. The MCC Quetta earned Rs4501million extra revenue during seven months (July to January) FY17-18 against the revenue collection of all heads during the corresponding first seven months of FY16-17. He added that the Quetta Customs was assigned Rs9170million revenue target under all the heads for first seven months of FY17-18 whereas the MCC Quetta collected Rs12210million.
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) was assigned Rs3440million revenue collection target of Customs Duty (CD) for six months of FY17-18 while MCC Quetta received Rs4800million under the same head against the allocated revenue target. During the same period of previous FY16-17, the MCC generated Rs2600million as CD.
The Collector further explained that the MCC Quetta got Rs5160million of Sales Tax (ST) during first half of FY17-18 against the earmarked revenue target of Rs4210million. The MCC Quetta earned Rs3700million under the same head during corresponding FY16-17. During first half of FY17-18, the Quetta Collectorate generated Rs2700million as With Holding Tax (WHT) against an assigned target of Rs1360million whereas it was allocated Rs1180million revenue target of WHT during the same period of previous FY16-17, he notified.
Talking about the performance of the Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) Quetta, he said, during first seven months of FY17-18, the ASO impounded 431 non-duty-paid small and luxury vehicles priced at Rs435million while it took into possession 351 NDP vehicles valued at Rs267million during the same period of corresponding FY16-17.