Muhammad Latif
ISLAMABAD: The passport office has become a victim of a severe financial crisis, there is no money left to pay duties and taxes for clearance of import consignments of paper and ink used for printing passports.
According to sources, the passport office has requested customs to clear the ink-related consignments on a deferred payment basis.
According to the sources, the passport office has requested the customs officials that the current stock of ink has been exhausted and therefore the goods should be cleared to avoid a national crisis of passport printing.
The Directorate of Immigration and Passports imports both laminated paper and ink for passport printing through Islamabad Airport and submits two letters with each consignment, officials said.
One letter for waiver of EIF as they are paid through the Pakistan Embassy in Germany and another for deferred payment as they do not have enough money to pay customs duty.
Keeping in mind the national reason, Customs allows both IIF exemption and deferred payment facility.
The consignment in question dated July 28 landed earlier today and has been cleared immediately on the same module, duty/tax of over Rs 53 million including today’s consignment is still pending for the previous five consignments.
