Customs hit back at CHAs

MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 4: Customs officers have hit back at the office bearers of the Bombay Custom House Agents8217; Association, obliquely even questioning the need for agents since the self-clearance facility is available in most custom houses.

Following the publicity received by CHAs countrywide deciding not to pay bribes to customs staff, six associations of customs officers on Friday issued a signed statement condemning the claim of the BCHAA president Mark Fernandes in a national daily that about 3000 bills of entry B/E were pending in Mumbai alone. Fernandes had claimed that work had slowed down in the Mumbai port since the decision by CHAs not to pay bribes.

The customs associations have said that only 2500 Bs/E were in process, of which 981 are with the CHAs themselves for presentation of the goods for examination, 845 were pending with the CHAs for payment of duty and 399 were with CHAs/importers for answering clarifications sought by assessing officers. In fact, the customs officers are incensedenough to allege that the BCHAA8217;s 8220;approach of launching a vile, unsubstantiated newspaper campaign is with the sole intention of diluting the investigations launched by the Income Tax authorities in connection with their huge evasion in the name of sundry expenses which were non-existent.8221;