Customs intelligence units are asked to coordinate examinations of import consignments to avert cumbersome crosscheck and thus reduce port clearance time and cost of business for importers.
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has issued the order for customs intelligence units to coordinate with the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) and the Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) in such work, as businesses often resent overlapping of trade scrutiny.
Customs officials have also been instructed not to seek documents beyond those specified in the Goods Declaration, Assessment and Re-assessment Rules 2024.
They cannot demand manual copies of documents already submitted electronically.
The directives are part of 12 urgent instructions issued by the NBR to customs houses and stations across Bangladesh to ensure revenue security while expediting the clearance of imported goods.
It was a long-pressed demand from the business community to simplify customs process and coordinate investigation processes rather than separately seeking documents from them.
The government's revenue authority has also instructed customs authorities to strengthen risk-based examination, eliminate unnecessary procedures and avoid multiple physical examinations of the same consignment unless a confirmed risk does exist.
The directions on dos and don'ts, issued on August 30, call for regular updating of the Asycuda World System selectivity criteria so that consignments can be selected for examination based on revenue risks.
"Findings from physical examinations should also be used to improve future risk-selection criteria," said the latest order on external-trade front.
The NBR has also directed officials to avoid unnecessary manual registers and data recording and not to forward files of non-risky consignments to higher authorities unless there are specific instructions from the revenue board.
Responsible officers must regularly monitor unstuffing activities and gate verification at sea, land and air ports, it said.
All unnecessary steps in the assessment and clearance process should be eliminated, according to the directives.
To expedite the release of imported goods, customs authorities have been asked to issue notices to importers and clearing and forwarding (C&F) agents and take legal action where necessary.
The NBR has also ordered customs authorities to complete auction procedures for stuck-up goods swiftly.
The notification, signed by Second Secretary (Customs: Policy) Rezaul Karim, was circulated to major Customs, Excise and VAT Commissionerates for immediate implementation.
