Vegetable traders halt export thru Ctg airport citing harassment
Ctg Customs authorities said the exporters did not comply with their request of correcting the product quantity, which differed in the bill of export
Vegetable and fruit exporters have halted trading through theChattogram's Shah Amanat International Airport from Tuesday protesting against alleged harassment accusations against an assistant commissioner of the customs.
Chattogram Fresh Fruits Vegetables and Allied Products Exporters' Association took the decision to suspend export activities at an emergency meeting, said the association's Secretary Forkan Rubel.
Exporters have complained that they always pay taxes as per the existing rules, similar to the regulations in place at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, but Assistant Commissioner Joinul Abedin, who is posted at the Chattogram Shah Amanat Airport, wants to change the rules.
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They claimed that the assistant commissioner said taxation has to be done according to the rules imposed by the assistant commissioner.
When contacted, a senior official of the airfreight unit of the Chattogram Custom House, told TBS on condition of anonymity that according to the customs law, the exact amount of the goods must be declared in the bill of export before the goods are exported. But there was a discrepancy in the export-bound products and documents.
"Although they were asked to correct the product quantity, they did not do it. Contradictory information in this case creates the scope of misappropriating the government's 20% financial incentive for the export of agricultural products," the official added.
