The Pakistan Customs has given the permission for duty- and tax-free re-import of goods on submission of a post-dated cheque for post-clearance verification that the goods were sent abroad for export purposes only.
In a notification published on Tuesday by Model Customs Collectorate (MCC) Preventive, it allowed the re-import of goods that have been rejected or returned by the foreign buyers to local exporters.
The collectorate mentioned that Pakistan Leather Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PLGMEA) had raised this issue. It stated that clearance of re-imported goods took a long time because the staff of Air Freight Unit at Jinnah International Airport disallowed duty-free import until the concerned export collectorate or the Regional Tax Office (RTO) ratified the export was made by the claimant.
The E-Form and bank credit advice have been digitised and there is no problem of fake E-Form or bank credit advice said the exporters. No possibility exists of getting an adjustment of input tax or of obtaining refund of sales tax twice, as no sales tax is paid on re-imported consignments, the exporters added.
After detailed dialogues with the exporters, the collectorate said it had been decided that the importers would submit a copy of the goods declaration of earlier export/airway bill, E-Form pertaining to the consignment along with the undertaking that no refund or rebate has been availed against the exports. The importer will also have to submit PDC of the amount of duty/taxes chargeable on the imported goods on which exemption is claimed,” it added.
Additionally, the importer would also be required to submit an undertaking from the association concerned of the exporters that the case of claimant for exemption is genuine and the association would ensure that the amount of duty/taxes would be paid if the goods are not re-exported within the stipulated time.
Nevertheless, the Customs authorities mentioned in case the goods aren’t re-exported within three months of re-import, the post-dated cheque would be encashed to recoup the duty and taxes chargeable on re-imported goods.
