NBR working to combat Customs manipulation: Chairman

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is working to identify fraudulent activities and curb evasion of government revenue through Customs manipulation, says its Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan.

Joining a meeting with the Chattogram Port Chairman and other port officials on Wednesday (2 October) at the port's conference hall, he also said the Chattogram Customs House is addressing the issue of malfunctioning port scanners and is expediting the installation of new scanners to ease container congestion at the port.

At the meeting, Chattogram Port Authority Chairman Rear Admiral SM Moniruzzaman highlighted the need to streamline the port's processes, particularly regarding correspondence. 

He laid emphasis on essential tasks, such as managing over 38 products at offdocks, including Pangaon, and expediting the auction process for long-stalled container goods. 

He also called for the destruction of hazardous goods, such as explosives, that have been stored at the port for extended periods.

During the meeting, Enamul Karim, director of the Port Authority's Transport Department, made a presentation outlining various challenges and proposals. These included enhancing online connectivity with Customs and installing scanners at Pangaon. 

He also proposed that Tk141.21 crore owed from auctioned goods should be cleared.

The NBR chairman also held a separate meeting with Chattogram Custom House officials. After the meeting, he told the media that despite recent disruptions at Chattogram port and Customs, there would be no major impact on revenue collection. 

The NBR has implemented several initiatives to mitigate any shortfalls, he said.

"If traders pay their duties on time, there will be no concern about revenue deficits," Khan said, mentioning that Customs officials must provide top-notch service, transforming the Custom House into a service-oriented institution free from harassment.

Representatives from the Chattogram C&F Agents Association, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, and Bangladesh Garments Accessories and Packaging Manufacturers and Exporters Association held a separate meeting at the Chattogram Custom House conference room.

The C&F agent association presented 14 recommendations to the NBR chairman. Among their key proposals were improving the performance of the automated system for Customs data "Asycuda World System", ensuring proper compliance with Customs valuation rules, and addressing instances where incorrect Customs Procedure Codes (CPC) or Harmonised System (HS) codes are provided unintentionally, rather than for the purpose of evasion.

The C&F agents also called for revisions to the Customs Agents Licencing Rules, including maintaining reference licenses if the original licence is terminated. They requested that income tax paid on C&F commissions be considered final in the Income Tax Act and urged swift registration of importers' designated C&F agents in the system.

The NBR chairman criticised the partial implementation of the Asycuda World System and assured that efforts are underway to resolve the issue quickly in coordination with software related stakeholders to ensure full utilisation of the system.