KATHMANDU, MAY 31, 2012
The Department of Revenue Investigation has directed Birgunj Customs Office to put its employees under scanner after it found the employees to be involved in massive negligence.
The department has found that some employees deputed at the Birgunj customs point are involved in deliberate negligence of duty, a source at the department said, adding that the department cannot claim that all the employees at the customs are involved in fraud but there is something wrong.
“We have suspected huge under-invoicing and false records of the quantity of goods being imported,” he said. “It is an unavoidable fact that the high number of cases of under-invoicing and false records of the quantity of consignments are not possible without the involvement of customs officials.”
The department took control of at least 12 vehicles carrying goods from Birgunj customs point in the last two weeks, the source said, adding that most of the vehicles were found involved in revenue fraud since they were ferrying either under-invoiced goods or had invoices for a lower quantity of goods as compared to the actual consignment. The trucks also had invoices of one type of goods but were ferrying other types of goods.
He further informed that the official customs seal being used at Birgunj Customs Office should be made more reliable. “It seems that employees have been taking advantage of the customs seal being used by Birgunj customs which is of low quality.”
The department has suggested the Finance Ministry to introduce a special seal to lock the containers so that customs officials cannot misuse it.
The Finance Ministry should also expand its vigilance on the issue since the misconduct of employees will adversely hit the revenue collection drive, according to him. “The department has collected Rs 2 million through random checking of the 12 vehicles. The trend reveals the chronic problem of under-invoicing at Birgunj customs.”
The official also informed that some customs points in the western part of the country are also under the department’s radar but refused to elaborate.
Source: THT
The Department of Revenue Investigation has directed Birgunj Customs Office to put its employees under scanner after it found the employees to be involved in massive negligence.
The department has found that some employees deputed at the Birgunj customs point are involved in deliberate negligence of duty, a source at the department said, adding that the department cannot claim that all the employees at the customs are involved in fraud but there is something wrong.
“We have suspected huge under-invoicing and false records of the quantity of goods being imported,” he said. “It is an unavoidable fact that the high number of cases of under-invoicing and false records of the quantity of consignments are not possible without the involvement of customs officials.”
The department took control of at least 12 vehicles carrying goods from Birgunj customs point in the last two weeks, the source said, adding that most of the vehicles were found involved in revenue fraud since they were ferrying either under-invoiced goods or had invoices for a lower quantity of goods as compared to the actual consignment. The trucks also had invoices of one type of goods but were ferrying other types of goods.
He further informed that the official customs seal being used at Birgunj Customs Office should be made more reliable. “It seems that employees have been taking advantage of the customs seal being used by Birgunj customs which is of low quality.”
The department has suggested the Finance Ministry to introduce a special seal to lock the containers so that customs officials cannot misuse it.
The Finance Ministry should also expand its vigilance on the issue since the misconduct of employees will adversely hit the revenue collection drive, according to him. “The department has collected Rs 2 million through random checking of the 12 vehicles. The trend reveals the chronic problem of under-invoicing at Birgunj customs.”
The official also informed that some customs points in the western part of the country are also under the department’s radar but refused to elaborate.
Source: THT
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