Customs Officers Didn’t Charge Rs. 6.106 Million Duty on Vapes

The Customs department has directed four Principal Appraisers posted at Islamabad airport to give a reply in three days for failing to charge 20% customs duty in assessing vape e-cigarettes. Sources said that the Collectorate of Customs Islamabad International Airport Islamabad has directed Principal Appraisers namely Sarfaraz Ahmed, Habibullah Malik, Sana Saeed, and Anika Malik to submit answers in three days for failing to charge 20% Customs duty. The above-mentioned officials have assessed vape e-cigarettes of different importers and as per the rules, they are supposed to collect 20% customs duty while the officials assessed the subject GDs under PCT heading 8543.9090 with 0% Customs duty. This inefficiency and negligence on their part have resulted in the loss of duty/taxes to the national exchequer worth Rs. 6.106 million and falls within the definition of “Inefficiency & Mis-conduct” as defined under civil servants (E&D) rules, 2022.