- I Paid A Bribe
- 14 years ago
- 235 views
Bought a *******
- Customs, Excise and Service Tax
- Customs Check and Clearance
- Paid INR 7,000
I bought a SONY LED HDTV from Singapore which i purchased for SG$ 793 (approx Rs. 32,000). i had no other goods besides my used clothes. However, the customs officials (all 4 of them) insisted that the duty is charged on the indian price of the TV and not the amount i paid (So, my receipt had no value). so, i was asked to pay Rs. 7000. Not wanting to bribe them, i agreed to the said amount and paid it. However, they then did not give me a receipt. When i asked for it, they said that the amount with receipt is Rs. 18000 and that i wont get a receipt for 7000. i am guilty because i did not want to pay twice the amount in which case my getting the TV from Singapore makes no sense. i think the customs officials purposely make the duty rules ambiguous. if there was transparency, i would have made the decision to not buy the TV if i know the exact duty would be too high or stand up to the rule and not pay a bribe. How do i handle next time i come across a similar situation in the future? Corruption is rampant in the customs division and it is a known truth... then how come no action is ever taken?