THE international organisations and development partners working in Bangladesh did not surrender or renew the Customs Passbooks of their 395 non-Bangladeshi staff till the date. The National Board of Revenue had directed them to complete the task within the January 31 deadline, newspapers reported. According to NBR, employees of 21 organisations left the country without surrendering 267 luxury vehicles imported against the passbooks under duty-free facility as privileged persons. It was alleged that they illegally sold the cars at the local market or transferred to other privileged persons without paying applicable duties.
The NBR earlier gave a one-month ultimatum to 38 international organisations and development partners to renew or surrender the Customs Passbooks as their non-Bangladeshi staff left the country without disposing of durable goods including duty-free motor cars. What’s most surprising is that most of the organisations did not respond to the NBR’s notice.
The NBR data showed that employees of GIZ have illegally transferred or sold out 19 cars, World Bank 20 cars, UNICEF 33, UNDP 51, DIFD three, ICDDRB eight, KOICA five, UNFPA nine, WFP eight, Asia Foundation five, ILO six, FAO 11 and DANIDA six cars. Here, the Customs Bond Commissionerate, Dhaka is the proper authority to issue show-cause notices to the heads of these organisations.
Though the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Department has confiscated several expensive cars in the last few years which were brought into country abusing diplomatic privileges, the trend to dodge the government revenues by a section of foreigners is not yet stopped. We find it hard to understand, why the foreigners enjoying diplomatic privileges try to dodge taxes of local authorities. Most of them get a handsome amount of salary as per international standard. Even so, they try to get extra money in an illegal way. There are widespread allegations that a section of foreigners who enjoy diplomatic privileges also sell liquor, wine and beer to local market which they get from bonded warehouses.
The Customs House must take a hard-line against the law-breakers who deliberately try to deprive our country dodging the taxes. Tough legal action should be taken against them for breaking diplomatic norms as well as country’s existing law.
The NBR earlier gave a one-month ultimatum to 38 international organisations and development partners to renew or surrender the Customs Passbooks as their non-Bangladeshi staff left the country without disposing of durable goods including duty-free motor cars. What’s most surprising is that most of the organisations did not respond to the NBR’s notice.
The NBR data showed that employees of GIZ have illegally transferred or sold out 19 cars, World Bank 20 cars, UNICEF 33, UNDP 51, DIFD three, ICDDRB eight, KOICA five, UNFPA nine, WFP eight, Asia Foundation five, ILO six, FAO 11 and DANIDA six cars. Here, the Customs Bond Commissionerate, Dhaka is the proper authority to issue show-cause notices to the heads of these organisations.
Though the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Department has confiscated several expensive cars in the last few years which were brought into country abusing diplomatic privileges, the trend to dodge the government revenues by a section of foreigners is not yet stopped. We find it hard to understand, why the foreigners enjoying diplomatic privileges try to dodge taxes of local authorities. Most of them get a handsome amount of salary as per international standard. Even so, they try to get extra money in an illegal way. There are widespread allegations that a section of foreigners who enjoy diplomatic privileges also sell liquor, wine and beer to local market which they get from bonded warehouses.
The Customs House must take a hard-line against the law-breakers who deliberately try to deprive our country dodging the taxes. Tough legal action should be taken against them for breaking diplomatic norms as well as country’s existing law.
