ATS Pearl allegedly evades Tk29cr duty abusing bond facility

The Chattogram Customs Bond Commissionerate has alleged that ATS Pearl Ltd, a 100% export oriented garment company, has evaded Tk29.37 crore tax by abusing the bonded warehouse facility. 

The commissionerate issued a show-cause notice regarding the matter to ATS Pearl on 22 September, asking them to reply within 30 days. 

The export-oriented readymade garment companies can import duty-free raw materials under the bonded warehouse facility. Some companies abuse the facility and sell imported goods or readymade garments made with them in the open market without exporting them.

According to the commissionerate sources, the company received 153 export permits from the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (Bepza) from 1 January, 2019 to 31 December, 2020. 

However, according to the customs' Asycuda software and the Bangladesh Bank, during that period the company had 116 bills of export, which are documents required by the customs authority for allowing shipment. The volume of goods mentioned in the export permits is higher than the volume in the ATS Pearl's bills of export. 

During scrutinising the documents, the commissionerate also found that ATS Pearl used an export permit more than once to take out their readymade garments out of the Chattogram EPZ.

The show-cause notice said the taxable value of the illegally removed 8.92 lakh pieces of ATS Pearls' manufactured goods is around Tk22.92 crore. The duty on this product at the rate of 127.72% is around Tk29.37 crore.

The commissionerate asked ATS Pearl to explain why the authority should not cancel their bonded warehouse licence and collect the evaded duty amounting to Tk29.37 crore. 

If ATS Pearl does not reply within the stipulated time, the commissionerate would take legal action to settle the case of duty evasion, the notice said.

AKM Mahbubur Rahman, commissioner of the Chattogram Customs Bond Commissionerate, said they were investigating a case of duty evasion by ATS Pearl. If the allegation is proved, they would take action according to the customs law.

ATS Pearl Ltd is a subsidiary of Chattogram-based garment industry group Asian Apparels. The managing director of the group is Mohammed Abdus Salam, former first president and current director of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association. Abdus Salam's elder brother Mohammed Yousuf is the managing director of ATS Pearl. 

Asian Apparels Managing Director Mohammed Abdus Salam said, "We have received a show-cause notice from the Customs Bond Commissionerate. However, the allegation of duty evasion is not true."   

This correspondent could not reach Mohammed Yousuf over phone despite several attempts.