Dhaka to ink deal with WCO to rev up customs: Muhith

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FE Report
Bangladesh will sign an agreement with the World Customs Organization (WCO) to strengthen customs clearance procedure by ensuring quick delivery of goods, finance minister AMA Muhith said Wednesday.
Under the agreement, the WCO will provide all kinds of support for standardisation and harmonisation of customs houses to expedite delivery of goods.
The country will sign a letter of intent with the organisation as it cannot enjoy all facilities of WCO like other member-countries, the finance minister said at a seminar.
WCO has a total of 176 member-countries including Bangladesh.
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) arranged the seminar on 'Customs and business: Improving performance through partnership' at a city hotel.
WCO secretary general Kunio Mikuriya, Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) president AK Azad, NBR chairman Dr. Nasiruddin Ahmed attended the programme as special guests.
Customs member Hussain Ahmed presided over the seminar and presented a keynote paper at the session.
Permanent representative of Bangladesh to WCO Khandaker Aminur Rahman, head of the regional office of capacity building (ROCB) Yoshihiro Kosaka also spoke at the seminar.
WCO secretary general has focused on building partnership with the business community for capacity building of the customs.
"Simplification of supply chain is needed to enhance trade in the international market. The WCO will provide all kinds of support to strengthen customs involving the business community," he said.
The finance minister said the country would sign the WCO convention 'safe framework' for methodological development of customs.
Under the convention, all exporting countries have to scan containers before shipment to expedite clearance in the importing countries.
Secondly, there will be authorised economic operators or clearing and forwarding agents who will enjoy green-channel facilities to export their products.
The NBR chairman said the accord will be signed by next week with the WCO.
The NBR will also join Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC) to avail all facilities of WCO.
"The WCO will find out the existing problems in the customs houses by sending a team. The team will assess the weaknesses and provide support for resolving those," he said.
All kinds of problems relating to system, governance, infrastructure would be solved with the move, he said.
The NBR aims to materialise the single-window concept at the customs houses, he said adding that a team, funded by International Finance Corporation (IFC), is already working at Benapole with the goal.
Customs member Hussain Ahmed said: "The main objective of the revenue board is to reduce cost of doing business."
Automation is imperative to expedite service of the customs department, he said.
"We have always focused on proper revenue collection, not higher revenues," he said.
Incentives and reward are needed to encourage customs officials to put in more efforts braving great risks, he said.
FBCCI president AK Azad said: "The customs department has to protect businesses along with revenue collection. Business wants simplified, quicker and cheaper service."
He proposed the government to form a joint customs consultative committee under public-private partnership with the representation of FBCCI.
The committee will recommend resolving different problems and addressing complaints of businesses.
He said the government should appoint skilled customs officials at lower level who are well versed in the taxation process.