Customs ensuring level field for all: Towe

The National Business
David Towe

BY enforcing and ensuring compliance, Customs PNG ensures a level playing field for all compliant legitimate businesses to operatet, says chief commissioner David Towe.
Opening a two-day customs-to-business consultative forum in Lae, Towe said it was the non-compliant illegal business operators who “distort fair-market practice”.
“The legitimate businesses lose out on revenue, so as Customs that lose out on duties, excise and tax revenues,” he said.
He said businesses should comply with laws by;

  • PAYING duties, excise and taxes;
  • HAVING proper permits for importing restricted goods;
  • NOT being involved in trading illegal goods such as drugs and other contrabands.

“It is important and in the best interest of both Customs and the compliant legitimate businesses to collaborate in combating and containing non-compliance illegal business operators,” he said.
“Customs cannot do it alone and needs the support of compliant legitimate businesses to suppress and flush out the non-compliant illegal business operators and foster a culture of compliance, so that all the compliant legitimate businesses can fairly compete and make fair share of their profit, achieving resilience and growth.
“Consequently, Customs too will be collecting its fair share of duties and taxes.”
Towe also listed tax relief items after the amending of the Customs Tariff Act 1990 during the 2024 Budget session in Parliament.
Import duty for the following items are reduced to Zero Duty to support manufacturing:

  • SOAP noodles reduced from 20 per cent to zero duty;
  • FLEXIBLE intermediate bulk containers reduced from 10 per cent to zero duty;
  • PACKAGING containers reduced from 10 per cent to zero import duty;
  • BONELESS meat for manufacturing luncheon. Meat reduced from 20 per cent to zero import duty;
  • MARGARINE (shortening) reduced from 25 per cent to zero duty;
  • CAPS used for beverages reduced from 20 per cent to zero duty; and,
  • MATTRESS inner springs reduced from 10 per cent to zero duty.