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Customs duty policy not followed in Mongla Port


Published : 26 Dec 2019 09:37 PM | Updated : 07 Sep 2020 03:14 PM

Customs Authorities of Mongla Port were allegedly checking 100 percent of imported and export goods though, in other ports of the city, only 10 percent of the goods are being checked through Random Selection Process. Due to checking of 100 percent of goods, exporters and importers of goods through the Mongla port are facing hazards in releasing and sending of their goods. They alleged, the Mongla Port Customs House authorities were not obeying the directives of the National Board of Revenue to check 10 percent of the goods. Moreover, they further alleged, according to the Customs Duty Valuation Policy-2000, Chattogram Customs, Dhaka ICD, Pangaon Port Customs Authorities were imposing import duty on the imported goods according to the lowest value of last three months but Mongla Port Customs authorities were not following the rules. 

According to sources, in Mongla port, all containers are now separately checked in presence of one Revenue Officer, One Assistant Revenue Officer and one Assistant Commissioner which is time consuming and often destroying the quality of the goods. As a result, businessmen were losing their interest to import and export of their goods through Mongla Port resulting a loss of revenue earning by the port authorities. 

It is learnt that, customs authorities of Chattagram Port, Dhaka ICD, Pangaon and Benapole land port authorities were following the directives of the NBR to random select only 10 percent of goods for checking for years but Customs authorities of the Mongla Port was not following the rules of NBR, instead, it was checking 100 percent goods there. 

Sources further alleged, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed to check 10 percent of goods to accelerate activities of the ports but Customs Authorities of Mongla Port was neither obeying the directives of the Prime Minister nor the NBR. As a result, large importers and exporters of the country were losing their interest to use the Port.

Sheikh Liakat Hossain Likhon, President of Bagerhat Chamber of Commerce and Industry informed through mobile phone that sections 47 and 48 of NBR rules of checking 10 percent of goods should be followed and implemented for speedy release of goods and increasing of the capacity of the Mongla Port. Two rules cannot be applied in import, export business in a country. He further complained, the arrival of container ships has been decreased in Mongla Port due to non-fixing of the customs duty in accordance to the lowest value for last three months. He further said, due to repeated requests from the importers and exporters to bring LCL cargoes at the port, authorities of Mongla Port and the Customs authorities did not pay heed to their requests, as a result, businessmen were using Chattogram Port to import LCL goods and the businessmen were incurring a loss. To ease pressure from Chattagram port, the capacity of Mongla port should be increased by following directives of NBR to check 10 percent goods through random selection process. He further said, while according the directives of the Prime Minister, the Mongla Port was turning to a profitable concern, a vested quarter was engaged in malpractice at the port to thwart its activities. 

Suresh Chandra Biswas, Customs Commissioner of Mongla Port informed, NBR should freshly issue directives to the Mongla Port authorities to implement 10 percent checking system through random selection on import and export goods because 100 percent checking system on goods has been introduced in this port from an earlier time. It was not possible for the department of Customs alone to introduce 10 percent goods checking system from 100 percent. He rejected the claim of the businessmen that Customs Duty Valuation Policy-200o is not being followed by the customs and the port authorities.