950811

Goods worth $64,000 withheld

Hyderabad Customs

refuses to accept

Cotecna CRF

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: A dispute has arisen over non-acceptance of the Cotecna Clean Report of Finding, by the Collector of Customs, Hyderabad.

The proprietor of Hyderabad-based Cosmos General Trading has brought this problem to the notice of the Chairman, Central Board of Revenue.

It is learnt that several importers, especially from Hyderabad, are facing similar problems on the consignments of Eau-de-toilet, deodorants of various brands, and some perfumes.

A Cosmos consignment originating from France has been re-routed from Dubai. Cotecna inspection SA, Dubai, examined the goods and issued a Clean Report of Finding. The assessment made by the company works out to nearly $64,000 but the Collectorate of Hyderabad is refusing to accept the CRF and reassessing the goods by more than 100 percent.

The company filed the bill of entry on June 17, 1995 at Hyderabad dry-port along with original CRF on which the dryport examined the consignment on June 26. Since then, the proprietor said, the clearance of the goods is not possible. The demurrage charges on this consignment since the berthing of the goods are Rs 300 to Rs 400 per day while the shipping agent's charges on the detention of a container amounts to $10 dollars per day.

He said that Customs could exercise its powers and consginment could easily be released to any other party who is interested in purchasing it. The goods could be saleable including the assessed value and the penalty levied by the authorities under Section 25 A of Custom Act 1969.

He said the Collector of Customs on one pretext or the other has been withholding the goods. There is no evidence of higher value of goods imported of the same origin, despite the fact similar types of goods have been released from Karachi on different ocassions.

This attitude would ultimately encourage smuggling and the government would be the sufferer. The goods are lying in the dry port Hyderabad since last one and a half month and are getting damaged, and facing an increase in port demurrage and shipping company's detention charges. So importers of Eau-de-toilet have requested the government and the valuation department to kindly release the goods undersigned in the CRF issued by the Cotecna Dubai.