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CBR 'amnesty' for illegal vehicles rejected

LAHORE: Since the announcement of amnesty last month by the Central Board of Revenue (CBR) for regularisation of illegal vehicles, owners of not even a single non-customs paid, smuggled, confiscated or seized Toyota car, Land Cruiser, Hilux double cabin or Mitsubishi Pajero approached the customs authority in this regard.

Official sources told APP here on Wednesday that a few persons visited the Special Information and Vehicle Assessment Cell, established in pursuance of the government's decision at Container Freight Station NLC, to enquire about the amount to be paid in duty and taxes. However, none of them returned with their vehicle after getting the information.

According to the owners of the aforementioned vehicles, the high duties and taxes quoted by the cell are beyond comprehension as they are much higher even than the market value of their petrol or diesel vehicles.

Officials stated that even those vehicles confiscated or seized by anti-smuggling wing or by any other agency, could also get regularised under this scheme after payment of duties and taxes by January 31, 2000.

A majority of the Collectors of Customs across the country, after the poor response from the public, have asked the CBR to review the rate of leviable duty and taxes, to make the scheme a success and attract the owners/users of all the above category vehicles.

The leviable duty and taxes to be paid by the users on say, Toyota Corolla cars of 1986, to 1992, models with 1300 CC and 1939 CC capacity vary from Rs 300,000 to Rs 1200,000 whereas registered vehicles of such models are available in the market from Rs 300,000 to Rs 700,000.ÑAPP