Staff Reporter :
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has reveled a study report about the corruption scenario in the country’s second seaport; Mongla and the land port, Burimari saying that businessmen are forced to pay bribe at all stages of service delivery in both the ports.
The report titled “Mongla Port and Customs House and Burimari Land Port and Customs Station: Challenges of Good Governance in the Import-Export Process and Crossings” was presented at a press conference at MIDAS Centre in the city on Sunday.
According to the survey, the Mongla Customs House collected Tk 156 million in 2016-17, while the Port Authority collected Tk 46.1 million in violation of the law.
The TIB estimates that each import vehicle has paid a tariff of Tk 4,000 while vehicles carrying duty-free products paid Tk 1,715 to pass the customs check at the port.
The report also stated that Tk 8,350 is collected by the customs house in this manner when ships arrive at and depart the port, while the Port Authority collects Tk 21,000. Vessels carrying duty-free products are charged Tk 6,000 before 5:00pm and Tk 7,200 afterwards.
In that same period, a total of Tk 28.5 million had been collected for bills of entry in the import-export process at the customs station at Burimari Land Port, while the land port authority collected Tk 4.8 million.
According to the report, the Burimari Motor Labourers Union has collected Tk 5.04 million in bribes from vehicles used for imports and exports in that time.
At the press conference TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said, “The collusion and forceful corruption at both ports exists at the institutional level.”
He also said, “The authorities are aware of this corruption. But they don’t act because they take advantage of it.”
