A COUNTRY’S productivity can be hampered due to many factors. One of the more prevalent reasons behind the misfortune of many of our nation’s patrons is the dirty practice of bribery. Though this affects the poor and rich alike, today we will be focusing on the businesses that have to pay exorbitant amounts of money as bribes to the Chittagong Port authorities in order to avail the services of passage for their goods.
According to findings by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), businessmen are forced to pay around 47.5 lakh taka on a daily basis illegally in order to carry out their export-import business at Chittagong Customs House (CCH). Around 60-70 people are under their employment and act as brokers transacting money that illegally changes hands through the export-import process. These middlemen have technical knowledge and secure information belonging to the custom officials and use those to conduct their illegal activities.
The TIB report, titled ‘Chittagong Port and Custom House Import-Export Process: Challenges for Good Governance and Finding Out Ways’ shed light on the prevalent harassment importers/exporters face to ensure safe passage for their goods. Amounts up to 17.5 lakh taka are sometimes required to be paid in order to simply unload imported goods. It also identified various other problems and irregularities at the CCH on items such as automation perspectives, current status of automation as well as finding solutions to the issues unearthed. The reports show that even though automated systems have been introduced for making the export-import process more efficient, the customs officials are using manual signatures and seals with the dishonest intent of extorting money from the businessmen involved.
The rampant corrupt practices at the CCH has robbed the very essence of all government efforts and investments in this sector to develop, automate and make the export-import process more transparent. The current scenario calls for better governance, which would eventually lead to greater accountability and productiveness of the CCH and reduce the suffering of the people involved. Tackling bribery in such a high scale will prove to be a big challenge for the government’s own honesty.
All talks of development will be meaningless if the government cannot have the moral authority and political will to fight corruption at the country’s most important port of Chittagong.
Corruption at various levels of export and import at Chittagong port is having serious implications on confidence in our international dealings. The government must not remain indifferent.
We thank Transparency International Bangladesh chapter for doing a great job of pointing out the weaknesses of governance of the election less government and opposition less parliament.
