30 duty-free cars imported by ex-MPs handed over to govt transport pool
According to the NBR, the total duty and tax on the 31 vehicles stands at Tk269.62 crore. Duties and taxes for each vehicle were assessed between Tk8.62 crore and Tk9.44 crore.
Thirty vehicles imported duty-free by members of the 12th parliament during Sheikh Hasina's final term have been handed over to the government transport pool under the Vehicle Directorate of the Ministry of Public Administration.
The vehicles were delivered yesterday (26 December) after officials arrived to receive them, said Sharif Al Amin, assistant commissioner of Chattogram Custom House.
He said the cars were handed over after necessary maintenance.
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Although the cars had been imported without paying customs duties and taxes, the handover was carried out under specific conditions to avoid legal and administrative complications.
The decision followed an inter-ministerial meeting that recommended transferring the vehicles to the government transport pool. The Finance Division later approved the recommendation.
According to official documents, the Vehicle Directorate will bear port storage and transportation costs from the 2025–26 fiscal year budget.
The interim government decided in September to place 31 vehicles imported under the duty-free facility of MPs into the transport pool after they failed to attract expected bids at auction.
As there was no previous example of the government taking over such vehicles, a committee was formed with officials from the Vehicle Directorate, Customs and the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) to review the matter.
Earlier, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) said that after parliament is dissolved, former MPs are no longer eligible for the duty-free car import facility. Importers must then pay applicable duties and taxes to clear the vehicles.
According to the NBR, the total duty and tax on the 31 vehicles stands at Tk269.62 crore. Duties and taxes for each vehicle were assessed between Tk8.62 crore and Tk9.44 crore.
Since the duties and taxes were not paid, the vehicles were sent for auction under Section 94(3) of the Customs Act, 2023. However, the auctions did not draw the expected prices.
On 12 November, the NBR issued a special order allowing the vehicles to be transferred to the transport pool on a conditional basis. The order says if importers decide to pay the applicable duties and taxes later, the vehicles may be released in their favour according to the law. In that case, the Vehicle Directorate will return the cars to the customs authorities.
Officials of the Vehicle Directorate inspected the vehicles stored at Chattogram Port. After completing the required procedures, the handover of 30 vehicles has now been completed.
Importers said auctioning the vehicles would have been difficult because of their high assessed value and procedural issues. They said transferring the cars to the transport pool was more practical than leaving them at port sheds.
The duty-free vehicle facility for MPs was introduced in 1987 during the Ershad regime and has faced criticism over revenue losses. According to NBR data, the government has lost more than Tk5,147 crore in revenue over the past 15 years due to the facility.
Under this benefit, 51 vehicles were imported for members of the 12th parliament. After the dissolution of parliament, most of these vehicles were not cleared, with Toyota Land Cruisers making up the majority.
