PTA’S DELEGATION MET WITH CHIEF COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS
Karachi : 22nd June, 2011

Mr. Khurshid Alam, Chairman, Pakistan Tanners’ Association informed to the print & electronic media through a press statement issued today that PTA’s Delegation led by him alongwith senior member, Mr. S.M. Muneer & Sheikh M. Afzal Hussain met with the Chief Collector of Customs, Ms. Razia Sultana Taher in her Chamber and highly appreciated the sincere efforts of Pakistan Customs for its strict vigilance at the Karachi Ports for all the negative activities specially the export of Wet Blue & Wet Blue Split Leather from Pakistan through mis-declaration / under invoicing quoting wrong PCT codes.

The Delegation also met with Dr. Jawwad Uwais Agha, Collector – PaCCS and Mr. Abdul Basit Choudhry, Addl., Collector, Model Customs Collectorate, Karachi and appreciated the vigorous efforts of their Team for detention of serious scam of 155 containers of Wet Blue Split Leather as recently seized 4 Containers having wet blue split leather, which were allegedly being fraudulently exported to Taiwan with the modus operandi of Mis-Declaration quoting wrong PCT Head/Code and taken departmental actions against the culprits to the serious extent.

Mr. Khurshid Alam, Chairman, PTA and Mr. S.M. Muneer assured to Pakistan Custom’s Officials during the meetings for all maximum support to eradiate the negative activities, which are detrimental and to become the cause of loss to the National Treasure as well as to the local Leather Industry, which is already in severe crisis of shortage of this basic raw materials in Pakistan for meeting its export demand. The strict vigilance at the time of export of wet blue & wet blue split leather from Pakistan particularly the ratification of description of goods & actual price value of the shipment, which is being made by PTA on Pakistan Custom’s instance under the present mechanism already developed with them has been found as yet to be the useful tool to refrain the culprits from the negative activities of clandestinely exporting wet blue & wet blue split leather from Pakistan through mis-declaration/under invoicing.

PTA’s Delegation also acknowledged the Pakistan Custom’s services/cooperation/full support extended so far and accordingly Mr. Khurshid Alam, Chairman, PTA & Mr. S.M. Muneer presented PTA’s Crests to Dr. Jawwad Uwais Agha, Collector – PaCCS and Mr. Abdul Basit Choudhry, Addl., Collector, Model Customs Collectorate (MCC) Karachi during the meeting on their meritorious services to encouraging/motivate them to proceed further in future with much more aggression & enthusiasm to expose those faces/culprits who are involved in these negative activities.

Mr. Khurshid Alam, Chairman, PTA also informed to Pakistan Custom’s Officials that a unanimously decision has already been taken by PTA in its CEC Meeting held recently to make a request to all Govt., quarters concerned for imposing “ COMPLETE BAN ON EXPORT OF WET BLUE / WET BLUE SPLIT LEATHER OF ALL KINDS / RAW HIDS & SKINS AND PICKLED LEATEHR FROM PAKISTAN” to save the local Leather Industry from further collapse.

PTA’s Delegation also appreciated the present structure for clearance of Pending Rebate Claims to the exporters, which are being processed through a very convenience mode as found during the visit of PTA’s Delegation at Custom House with the supreme motive to avoid any liquidity crunch to the genuine exporters of Pakistan to be able to them to continue to play their pivotal role in strengthening the country’s exports by fetching precious foreign exchange.

At the conclusion of the meetings, it was once again reassured at both ends i.e. Pakistan Customs & PTA to proceed together for all kinds of negative activities specially export of wet blue & wet blue split leather from Pakistan through under mis-declaration / quoting wrong PCT Code and also assured t0 share/exchange the confidential information on it more closely under the present developed mechanism.