The complainant being regular importer of “Agricultural Tractors”, had imported on 9-10-2021 a consignment of Agricultural Tractors to be used by the farmers of the country. After proper examination/scrutiny of consignment by the authorities, where duties taxes were paid the authorities released and gated out the same as per law. However, subsequently, Port Qasim Collectorate put on hold/blocked the consignment of tractors on 13-10-2021 without any legal cause and justification. The complainant approached the FTO and said that he also filed 5 other GDs in which unnecessary delay was being made perhaps to please his competitors whose consignment was released on 12-10-2021, without calling any documents and without any examination process, despite the fact that there was no difference between the goods imported by the complainant and their competitors indicating that undue advantage was being provided to the competitors of complaint.
Federal Tax Ombudsman, Dr. Jah, took immediate notice of the complaint, spoke on phone directly to the Chief Collector Appraisement, Karachi, who after necessary checks ordered consignment to be released. The complainant has appreciated the immediate relief had redressal by the Federal Tax Ombudsman, as directives for immediate clearances and stop harassing the taxpayer by the FTO have saved him from the high handedness of the tax officials, and the financial loss they would have suffered due to illegal delay in the clearance of the trading consignment. The importer has also stated that the release of tractors before sowing season would facilitate on time provision of tractors to the formers of Pakistan.
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