The exporters are facing liquidity crunch due to non-receipt of cheques relating to the customs duty rebate which are pending at the Model Customs Collectorate (Preventive) for the last few months, sources told Business Recorder on Tuesday.
The funds are available and cheques are ready but need signature of the chief accounts officer. The Auditor General of Pakistan had appointed Furqan Salabat, a grade-18 officer, who was later transferred due to his promotion in grade-19 on November 02, 2018.
The Secretary Management Customs had also written a letter on December 10, 2018 to the Director Establishment/Admn, Auditor General of Pakistan, and requested to post chief accounts officer at the Collectorate. He informed the Auditor General that Collectorate Customs is functioning without chief accounts officer which is affecting the functioning of the Collectorate.
He further said that due to enhanced workload and sharp focus of the government on revenue collections as well as ensuring transparency in incurring expenditures, the Model Customs Collectorate is facing operational difficulties due to absence of the chief accounts officer. As a result, the Collectorate is unable to issue rebate/refund cheques causing exporters to agitate the delay in issuance of the same besides creating a situation of embarrassment for the Collectorate as well as for the Federal Board of Revenue.
Meanwhile, the Secretary Management Customs assigned the responsibility of signing cheques to a senior officer Javed Iqbal so that working may not suffer further but he avoided to perform duties and went on leave ahead of retirement.
Sources said that absence of chief accounts officer is adding to their financial problems. The government, therefore, should take immediate notice of the situation so that the exporters' funds could not be held just for want of positing of a grade-18 officer, they demanded.