Senior Secretary, IRD & Chairman, National Board of Revenue Md. Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, ndc (3rd from right); ICC Bangladesh President Mahbubur Rahman (4th from right) are seen at the National Workshop on ATA Carnet System jointly organized by ICC Bangladesh and NBR in a city hotel on Tuesday. Also seen in the picture from left to right are former BKMEA President & ICCB Executive Board Member Md. Fazlul Hoque; ICCB Secretary General Ataur Rahman; DCCI President Osama Taseer; Former Adviser to the Caretaker Govt. & former NBR Chairman, Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury; ICC Asia Executive Director Lee Ju Song & Raich Uddin Khan, First Secretary (Customs), NBR Being a signatory to the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC), it is very important for Bangladesh to sign the Istanbul Convention on ATA Carnet.
Md. Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, Chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), made the observation at a day-long workshop on ATA Carnet System on Tuesday in Dhaka.
He was speaking as the chief guest at the workshop jointly organised by the International Chamber of Commerce-Bangladesh (ICCB) and the National Board of Revenue (NBR).
The NBR chairman said that to tap benefit from bilateral, sub-regional and regional trade and economic agreements, it was crucial for Bangladesh to introduce the ATA Carnet System, according to a press statement of the ICCB. ATA Carnet is an international uniform customs document that permits duty free temporary entry of goods into a member country without the need to raise customs bond, payment of duty and fulfilment of other customs formalities in one or a number of foreign countries.
Mr Bhuiyan argued that the system would help open the door to the international buyers and traders to import samples for exhibitions, trade fairs and many other purposes in an easy and trade-friendly way without paying duties and taxes.
He suggested that the ICCB keep close contact with the NBR for persuading the government to sign the latest Istanbul Convention on ATA Carnet.
ICCB President Mahbubur Rahman in his welcome address said to improve the ranking in the Ease of Doing Business Index it was utmost important for Bangladesh to introduce the ATA Carnet System.
"Bangladesh's economy has kept up an impressive annual average growth rate for more than a decade and in FY18 Bangladesh's GDP growth rate was 7.86 per cent," he said.
He also said that the trade volume was increasing at a mentionable rate and to promote trade and investment and to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it was essential to introduce trade promotional instruments like ATA Carnet and other global facilities without any further delay.
Mr Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, former caretaker government adviser and former NBR chairman, in his speech said that it was essential for Bangladesh to introduce the ATA Carnet.
Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) President Osama Taseer said it was imperative for Bangladesh to integrate into its trade regime the trade facilitation instruments, particularly the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement and the ATA Carnet System.
Mrs Lee Ju Song, ICC Asia Executive Director, conducted the workshop. ICCB secretary general Ataur Rahman also spoke at the occasion.
Around 50 participants from different ministries and departments of the government and representatives from different business associations and the NBR attended the workshop.
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