20000206

KCCI plea

to withdraw

CGO 57/99

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: The President of Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Karachi Amjad Rafi, has expressed concern over the sweeping powers given to the Customs officers under the provision of CGO 57/99.

Rafi urged the CBR to withdraw the CGO 57/99 and adopt the procedure of determining the transaction value in accordance with the GATT code of Customs Valuation.

The KCC&I has already officially expressed its disappointment over the draft rules suggested by the CBR in December 1999. The chamber has stressed that the GATT Code should be applied fully and all the articles be adopted in Customs Act, 1969.

Rafi pointed out that the valuation data base entries did not support the GATT Code of Valuation as it contained the ITPs, which was an arbitrarily fixed price concept in practice.

Rafi also pointed out that no meeting of the valuation committee had been held, even after implementation of new system of valuation five weeks ago, though it was decided to hold meetings twice a week.