The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has proposed amendments in the Uzbekistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Rules 2021 through SRO.288(I)2023 issued on Monday.
The new procedure would be applicable to the Uzbekistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement, for processing of transit trade cargo under the Customs computerized system, to and from Uzbekistan; Uzbekistan’s cargo imported through Karachi Port, Port Qasim, Gwadar Port; and Uzbekistan’s cargo to other countries via Karachi Port, Port Qasim, and Gwadar Port.
Under the procedure, the Directorate of Transit Trade, Peshawar and Quetta shall be authorized to issue and regulate permits at their respective land border customs stations.
The Board may through a general order levy charges, generally applicable for all traffic, including fees for weigh-ment, scanning and sealing by customs officials or those commensurate with the administrative expenses for the costs of services rendered.
The vehicles shall be prohibited from carrying goods loaded in the territory of Pakistan for delivery at any other point (cabotage) and goods from or to another country (third country) than the operators home country and to be delivered or picked up to or from the territory of Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan’s registered vehicles holding valid permits and are being utilized for the transport of transit and bilateral trade cargo shall enter Pakistan without the requirement of submission of any financial security for the duty and taxes leviable on the vehicle, on the basis of reciprocity, as agreed by the two contracting parties, the FBR said.
The Logistics Facilitation Centre shall record particulars of both driver and vehicle in the CCS and these details should be linked with the FIA’s immigration module so that the driver can only exit Pakistan if his vehicle, on the return journey, has entered the border Customs station and gate-in event has been recorded in the CCS and vehicle has completed all customs formalities for exiting Pakistan.
Both Customs and the FIA officials posted at the Customs border stations shall carry out weekly reconciliation to ensure the implementation of the above mechanism and to ascertain any overstayed vehicles.
A tracker shall be installed on each vehicle upon entry into the territory of Pakistan as per its national legislation.
All customs clearing agents/brokers, bonded carriers engaged in the clearance and transportation of transit cargo, are required to receive the amount for various expenses in respect of service charges, freight, etc., in Pakistan from foreign trader/entities in their Pak Rupee bank accounts in foreign currency, it added.
