Customs to e-auction overstayed, detained goods

KARACHI: Customs has launched electronic auction of overstayed and confiscated goods to ensure transparency and expedition of the auctioning operations that remained shut during COVID-19 lockdown, officials said on Friday.

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has issued draft rules for e-auction to take input of stakeholders before making it a part of the main statute.

Officials, privy to matters, said the FBR was receiving complaints regarding auctions of goods and vehicles held at various customs stations. Under the draft rules the entire process of auction would be centralised and seen at the main portal of the FBR by designated officials for monitoring and examination.

The sources said the auction process of goods and vehicles was stopped during the four months, i.e. March–June 2020, due to coronavirus and it had caused huge losses to the national exchequer.

For the process of e-auction the FBR has issued separate procedures for overstayed goods and confiscated/seized goods.

Under the draft rules, bidders would require to get registered through their CNIC or NICOP on the e-auction portal.

The FBR specified the role of custodian of goods under the draft rules. The custodians shall identify the goods, which are either unclaimed or un-cleared and update the details on the portal of e-auction. The FBR said after completion of examination and assessment of the goods, the details would be displayed at the auction portal for inviting bids, which shall be available for 72 hours on the portal.

After the acceptance of bids, the board would communicate with the terminal operators for delivery of goods to the successful bidders, it said.