NBR awards 'e-Return Champion Certificate' to five leading firms

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) today (19 September) awarded five firms the prestigious "e-Return Champion Certificate" under the Bangladesh Single Window (BSW) Project.

Recipients of the awards include BAT Bangladesh, Sonali Bank, Brac Bank, Renata Pharmaceuticals, and Bureau Bangladesh, according to a press release.

The awards were conferred on the country's largest taxpayers for their contribution to helping implement the government's automation agenda and their sustained support for progressive national initiatives.

The certificates were handed over at a ceremony held at Le Méridien, marking the issuance of half a million Certificates, Licenses, and Permits (CLPs) through the BSW system.

This system is a remarkable, sustainable initiative that ensures proper governance and eliminates paper-based procedures.

BAT Bangladesh adopted the paperless operation shortly after its introduction, which ensures transparency and accountability by eliminating the need for personal or direct contact in government procedures.

The system has significantly narrowed the scope for harassment, corruption, and unethical transactions. As a result, in addition to increased transparency, both time and costs in import and export operations have been reduced.

The government launched the BSW project in 2017 to provide an electronic, online solution for facilitating faster and more transparent international trade procedures.

The initiative combines 19 government departments under one digital portal—namely the BSW software and the Advanced Risk Management System (ARMS). The program decreases paperwork, minimises processing time, and adds transparency while advancing the government's overall digitisation agenda.

In January this year, the government announced that from 1 February, manually issued CLPs from seven state agencies would no longer be accepted for duty assessment and customs clearance, and these documents must be submitted through the BSW system.