FBR empowers directorate to examine, scan cargo

KARACHI: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has empowered Directorate General of Transit Trade (DGTT) to examine and scan cargo related to transit trade and transshipment.

The FBR issued revised jurisdiction order reorganising the DGTT for effective enforcement to prevent slippage of cargo en-route Afghan transit trade and transshipment to domestic dry ports from the sea ports.

According to the reorganisation, the DGTT has been expanded and the directorate would have offices at Karachi, Gwadar, Quetta, Peshawar, Gilgit-Baltistan and Lahore. The FBR said that the DGTT would be responsible for enforcement of all the international agreements, treaties, rules and procedures relating to the transit trade with reference to cross border movement of bonded cargo.

The directorate would also be responsible for enforcement of domestic laws related to transshipment with reference to inland movement of bonded cargo.

The directorate office at Karachi has been authorised for supervision of tracking and monitoring the cargo across the national territory through central control room (CCR). It would include transit cargo; POL products exported to Afghanistan; US or NATO or ISAF cargo; transshipment cargo; cargo related to export and free zones; and transportation of imported liquid bulk cargo for exclusive use of ISAF/NATO forces in Afghanistan.

The Karachi office has also been empowered to issue license to tracking companies for monitoring the movement of transit and transshipment cargo.

Besides, the directorate’s Karachi office has been given mandate of examination, scanning, clearing of all transit and transshipment cargo arriving at Karachi Port, Port Muhammad Bin Qasim, Qaid-e-Azam International Airport etc. The notification stated that the jurisdiction for all customs matters relating to transit and transshipment in respect of the province of Punjab would be exercised by the respective collectorates of Customs, as per their notified area of responsibility, till the directorate of transit trade in such territorial jurisdictions were established and became functional.