Chittagong Port will soon have round-the-clock banking and customs services, in order to facilitate handling of more cargo, including the expected increased freight volume, due to granting transit/transshipment facilities to India.
But customs expert and layers warned that, without proper preparation, introduction of night shifts for customs services, would mess up the country’s revenue sector. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) is preparing a project in this connection, entitled 'Increasing efficiency of Chittagong Port through the extended and synchronised operation of key organisations'. Gowher Rizvi, the Prime Minister's international affairs adviser, wrote a letter to NBR chairman Nasir Uddin Ahmed, asking him to provide necessary support, in this connection.
The letter, issued on December 14, said that the project will seek to make the port remain operational for extended hours, to increase delivery efficiency, maximise capacity utilisation, and increase revenue.
“These steps include allowing commercial banks to operate for longer hours. These will be authorised to collect customs duties. The government will also make provisions for extended shifts at Chittagong Customs House,” Rizvi wrote in the letter. The project will be implemented as a public-private initiative, aiming to increase port efficiency, so that it can provide round-the-clock service to exporters and importers. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will provide technical and financial support for the initiatives. He said the project concept has been developed on the back of extensive research, stakeholder meetings, and fact-finding missions to Chittagong Customs House. “It's expected that this initiative will be one of many to help Chittagong Port become one of the most efficient ports in the world,” Rizvi added.
Bangladesh Tax Lawyers’ Association president, Golam Sarwar, said that though the Chittagong Customs operates under an automated system, the extended shift would messv it up, by allowing corruption and bribery. Sarwar was apprehensive that illegal trade cartels could use the night shift sneak in goods, without paying taxes.
News Source: The Independent