Al Amin :
Like the previous year, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) is going to celebrate the ‘International Customs Day 2021’ today with bearing the brunt of failure to make the Customs wing a full-fledged automated one.
The board has also failed to resolve dispute over the pricing of duty on imported goods and to upgrade its Customs software, which was started in 1994, to ensure hassle-free services for the traders.
Due to failures, the government is losing a huge amount of revenue and also failing to prevent money laundering, experts said. NBR officials, however, said that the development work of the ASYCUDA
World, a global standard customs system, is going on to accelerate import-export trade and expedite shipments from ports.
They are also trying to implement the National Single Undo Project with a view to bringing all the wings together and to provide integrated services, the officials said.
“NBR should have introduced Risk Management System or Customs to Customs integration to prevent money laundering and to avoid duty evasion,” said Farid Uddin, former member of the NBR, told The New Nation on Monday over phone.
The revenue board had initiated to upgrade software – ASYCUDA World – to ensure uniformity in valuation and classification of products in 1994.
At present, Dhaka Customs House, ICD Kamalapur, Chattogram, Mongla and Benapole are using ASYCUDA ++, a lower version of ASYCUDA World, but they do not share database with each other.
Under the existing system it is possible that $1 duty is charged on a certain product at Chattogram Customs House, while the same product is charged $1.2 at Mongla or Benapole.
But after the installation of ASYCUDA World, all the Customs houses would have automated system and integrated platform to charge at uniform rate.
Businesses said that an unequal competition has created in the country’s business due to the failure of installation of the system and the difference of pricing of duty of the imported goods.
Imported goods are being released illegally from the ports as there is no online connection or coordination among the ports, ministries and other regulatory agencies with the Custom Houses, it is alleged.
The houses are allegedly failing to detect import of banned goods and thus, the government is losing huge amount of revenue every year.
Skilled manpower and capacity building along with infrastructural development of the Customs houses are required to increase revenue, Farid said.
Meanwhile, NBR has undertaken various programmes to celebrate the day maintaining social distance amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Apart from this, the NBR will hold a virtual seminar at the conference room of its head office. Finance Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal and FBCCI President Sheikh Fazle Fahim will present as chief guest and special guest respectively while NBR Chairman Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem will preside over the seminar.
Like the previous year, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) is going to celebrate the ‘International Customs Day 2021’ today with bearing the brunt of failure to make the Customs wing a full-fledged automated one.
The board has also failed to resolve dispute over the pricing of duty on imported goods and to upgrade its Customs software, which was started in 1994, to ensure hassle-free services for the traders.
Due to failures, the government is losing a huge amount of revenue and also failing to prevent money laundering, experts said. NBR officials, however, said that the development work of the ASYCUDA
World, a global standard customs system, is going on to accelerate import-export trade and expedite shipments from ports.
They are also trying to implement the National Single Undo Project with a view to bringing all the wings together and to provide integrated services, the officials said.
“NBR should have introduced Risk Management System or Customs to Customs integration to prevent money laundering and to avoid duty evasion,” said Farid Uddin, former member of the NBR, told The New Nation on Monday over phone.
The revenue board had initiated to upgrade software – ASYCUDA World – to ensure uniformity in valuation and classification of products in 1994.
At present, Dhaka Customs House, ICD Kamalapur, Chattogram, Mongla and Benapole are using ASYCUDA ++, a lower version of ASYCUDA World, but they do not share database with each other.
Under the existing system it is possible that $1 duty is charged on a certain product at Chattogram Customs House, while the same product is charged $1.2 at Mongla or Benapole.
But after the installation of ASYCUDA World, all the Customs houses would have automated system and integrated platform to charge at uniform rate.
Businesses said that an unequal competition has created in the country’s business due to the failure of installation of the system and the difference of pricing of duty of the imported goods.
Imported goods are being released illegally from the ports as there is no online connection or coordination among the ports, ministries and other regulatory agencies with the Custom Houses, it is alleged.
The houses are allegedly failing to detect import of banned goods and thus, the government is losing huge amount of revenue every year.
Skilled manpower and capacity building along with infrastructural development of the Customs houses are required to increase revenue, Farid said.
Meanwhile, NBR has undertaken various programmes to celebrate the day maintaining social distance amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Apart from this, the NBR will hold a virtual seminar at the conference room of its head office. Finance Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal and FBCCI President Sheikh Fazle Fahim will present as chief guest and special guest respectively while NBR Chairman Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem will preside over the seminar.
