NBR orders 31 duty-free cars from ex-MPs to be reallocated for Govt use

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has issued a special order for the transfer of 31 luxury cars for official use as those were previously imported under duty-free privileges by members of the now-dissolved 12th National Parliament.

The vehicles will be handed over to the Directorate of Government Transport under the Ministry of Public Administration for official use in the public interest.

According to the NBR order issued today (12 November), the vehicles were imported by several former MPs under the special duty-free facility allowed for sitting members of parliament.

However, since the 12th National Parliament has been dissolved, the importers no longer qualify for the privilege.

Earlier, the Chattogram Customs House had sought clarification from the NBR on whether the duty-free benefit would still apply to vehicles imported by former lawmakers after the dissolution of Parliament.

In response, the NBR, through a directive issued on 8 December 2024, stated that the duty-free facility would no longer be applicable in such cases.

It instructed that the vehicles could only be released upon payment of regular customs duties and taxes.

The importers, however, did not take delivery of the vehicles by paying the required duties and taxes.

As a result, the Chattogram Customs House, following the provisions of Section 94 (3) of the Customs Act, 2023, put the vehicles up for auction.

During the auction, no bidder offered a reasonable or acceptable price for the high-end vehicles.

Consequently, based on a decision taken in an inter-ministerial meeting, the NBR decided not to sell the vehicles through auction and instead ordered their transfer to the Ministry of Public Administration for appropriate official use.

According to the NBR, the total amount of payable duties and taxes on these 31 vehicles stands at Tk269.61 crore.

The highest payable duty and tax on a single vehicle is Tk9.44 crore, while the lowest is Tk8.63 crore.

"These vehicles are of very high value and could serve better public interest if properly utilised under government use rather than remaining idle or being undervalued at auction," the NBR said in a media release.

The order further mentions that if the importers later wish to release their vehicles by paying all applicable duties and taxes, the Chattogram Customs House will be authorised to process such releases in accordance with customs valuation and assessment laws.

In such cases, the Directorate of Government Transport will return the respective vehicles to the Customs authorities for lawful release to the importers.

Officials said the decision aims to ensure transparency, uphold the law regarding duty-free privileges, and make efficient use of the vehicles that were brought under a special facility but left unclaimed.

The NBR also reiterated its position that any misuse of duty-free import privileges by individuals no longer entitled to such facilities would be dealt with strictly in line with customs regulations.