Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) has urged the government to curtail the Border Guard Bangladesh’s (BGB) authority to act as customs officials.
FBCCI President Abdul Matlub Ahmad made the request while addressing a seminar on “Countering Smuggling and Evasion of Custom Duty” held in the city yesterday.
Urging the government to scrap the BGB’s existing authority as custom officials to check the goods within 5 miles along the bordering areas, he said: “Once the goods are checked by the customs officials at the borders, further checking by the BGB men is nothing but harassment to the business people.”
Currently, BGB officials are empowered with searching goods, detaining and arresting people under several sections of customs act 1969, within five miles from the bordering area.
“As customs department have so many efficient officials, why are you empowering BGB men in conducting your job within five miles of the bordering areas?” he questioned.
Responding to an allegation against dishonest businesses involved in duty evasion, he said: “It is true that all the businessmen are not good. Similarly, all the customs officials are also not good. Time has come to look into it. We need to find out the bad people in their services.”
He asked the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to publish info on some exemplary punishment given to both NBR and businessman.
In response, Senior Secretary to Home Ministry Mozammel Haque Khan said: “The law enforcing agencies under his ministry wants to help the customs officials in the implementation and enforcement of the legal issues for trade facilitation.”
“I am sorry if the BGB men fails to recover anything by detaining people after they crosses first stage of security. However, if they (BGB) find something illegal, then it would be a matter of great concern,” he said.
Currently, Bangladesh has 4,427 kilometers border with India including 489 kilometer of unprotected area. In addition, there is also 300 kilometers of area with Myanmar.
Bangladesh Garments Accessories & Packaging Manufacturers & Exporters Association President Rafez Alam Chowdhury suggested the NBR to assign the respective business associations with specific responsibility to help duty evasion from their sector people.
Security analyst major general (retd) Abdur Rashid said: “Custom has showed its success in combating smuggling through ports, but smuggling is still rampant outside the ports that needs to be addressed urgently.
Dhaka University International Relations Department Professor Delwar Hossain asked the NBR not only to look into how to collect revenue for the country, but also to conduct study on how smuggling patronise criminal financing in the country.
Automation of NBR, reduction of information gap between agencies, adaption of global best practices, and strengthening partnership with business community can help prevent smuggling and duty evasion, he suggested.
State minister for Finance M A Mannan asked the customs officials to use the modern technologies for increasing the revenue and finding out ways for more revenue collection from the potential sources.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith asked the NBR to ensure business-friendly atmosphere by reducing harassment to the businesses.
Presiding over the seminar, NBR Chairman Nojibur Rahman said: “The authorities are committed to ensuring zero tolerance against any harassment, corruption and misconducts.”
