LC stations asked to cross-check prices of imported goods

The customs wing under the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has asked its ten land customs (LC) stations to cross-check the value of products imported through them using recently-installed system ASYCUDA World facility.

The wing issued an instruction Sunday to the customs commissioners at Bhomra, Bibir Bazar, Bangla Bandha, Akhaura, Sheula, Darshana, Chhatak/Chela/Ichhamoti, Narayanganj, Zokiganj and Dhanua Kamalpur LC stations.

Apart from Benapole, these LC stations deal with major import-export trade between India and Bangladesh.

In a letter, customs policy member Md Farid Uddin directed the LC stations to monitor the value of products through coordination with the largest land port Benapole.

A senior customs official said the ASYCUDA World has been installed at these LC stations to facilitate the customs officials examine the value of imported products by comparing with the value of those products at other LC stations.

The customs wing has recently revised the list of import-export products for these LC stations by issuing a circular, he added.

Some new products have been included in the list to allow importers to bring those from India through the ports, he said."There is an utmost need to conduct risk-management, inspection and scrutiny of the value of the newly added products that would be imported through the LC stations," he said.

Beanpole is the oldest and the largest land port, having an automated system as well as experience in management and release of imported products.

The land stations should cross-check the value of products with the value of those at Benapole to check under-invoicing and over-invoicing of products, he added.  

Unfortunately, land customs houses are yet to adequately utilise the modern facility of the ASYCUDA World system to check duty evasion, the official said.

Inter-connectivity between the ten LC stations has been established to help the customs officials check the declared value of imported products under same HS code by entering the site of other LC stations.

It is alleged that importers quote lower than actual value of the products imported through different land ports with a view to evading duty and taxes.

Industry insiders said they very often face uneven competition in the local market due to variation in the import value of the same products.

Tax evaders do enjoy edge over genuine business while marketing the same products in the local market.      

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