ISLAMABAD – The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has appointed focal persons at all international airports to facilitate passengers after reports about confiscation of non-commercial quantities of banned items emerged lately.
FBR shared the development on its official Twitter handle stating: “In the wake of issuance of SRO 598(I)2022 by the Govt.of Pakistan, FBR has nominated focal persons at all Int’l Airports across Pakistan to facilitate genuine passengers and ensure timely complaint redressal”.
“FBR truly believes in taxpayers’ facilitation,& ease of doing business,” it wrote while sharing the names of officers who have been appointed as focal persons at the international airports.
Furthermore, the officers will also ensure 24/7 supervision of every FBR team deployed in arrival section.
The assistant and deputy collectors will “ensure that genuine passengers are not harassed in case of their baggage containing the items banned via SRO 598 (I)/2022 and are facilitated”.
In the wake of issuance of SRO 598(I)2022 by the Govt.of Pakistan, FBR has nominated focal persons at all Int'l Airports across Pakistan to facilitate genuine passengers and ensure timely complaint redressal.FBR truly believes in taxpayers' facilitation,&
ease of doing business. pic.twitter.com/l2JUj6sReI— FBR (@FBRSpokesperson) May 30, 2022
“Furthermore, the on-duty AC/DC must ensure that commercial quantities of the banned items are not being slipped away in passenger baggage so that the phenomena of “Khepias” is discourged, thereby ensuring facilitation to genuine passengers,” read the official notification.
Building further on its earlier nomination of focal persons at all Int'l Airports across Pakistan, FBR has ensured 24/7 supervision of every Arrival shift by AC/DC Customs to facilitate genuine passengers & discourage" Khepias" hence, implement SRO 598(I)2022 in letter & spirit. pic.twitter.com/YCLx40qlBl
— FBR (@FBRSpokesperson) May 30, 2022
Last week, FBR had taken a notice after customs officers seized ‘luxury goods’ in small quantities from the luggage of the passengers arriving at different airports of Pakistan.
The goods seized by officials in small quantities included used mobile phones, chocolates, branded shoes and other items.
Passengers had protested the Customs move, saying they had bought these items for their children and family members, and there were not for commercial use.
However, the top customs officials said that the seizures had been made in light of the government’s recent ban on 41 luxury items.
Later, FBR directed the officers concerned to confiscate only the commercial quantities of the banned items.
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