NBR halves import cargoes\\\' physical exam rate

CHITTAGONG, January 19: In a move to lessen importers' woes the NBR (National Board of Revenue) has halved the rate of physical examination of consignments at the Chittagong Customs House (CCH) to 20 per cent on an average from 40-50 per cent.

The Customs authority in Chittagong said the latest move would expedite cargo delivery and improve the container congestion situation at the port. It would greatly save businesses from unnecessary hassle as physical examination generally takes three to four days causing delay in shipment.

CCH Joint Commissioner Abdul Hakim said that the authority had taken the step to ease import and export activities and save the stakeholders from unnecessary delay as well as paying demurrage in the port.

The customs clearing and forwarding agents said they were urging the authority to lower the rate of physical examination to 10 per cent to check under-invoicing and infiltration of illegal goods.

Even when the CRF (clean report of findings) system of the PSI (pre-shipment inspection) companies was in place, the Customs officials had 40 to 50 per cent of the consignments undergo physical examination which caused a lot of delay in the cargo delivery from the port and customs authority, C&F Agents Association leaders said.

"We do admit that a big volume of cargoes will be brought into the country, if the physical examination of import consignments is not done. The number of dishonest importers is very small. So why should the honest businesses be liable to unnecessary harassment in the name of physical examination," said Kazi Mahmud Imam Bilu, joint secretary of the C&F Agents Association.

He praised authority for lowering the rate of cargoes' physical examination. "But it should be maximum 10 per cent in the national interest, because the shipment of export goods is very much dependent on imported raw materials," he said.

Businesses said in most cases the Custom House authority had gone for physical examination upon tip offs from its sources. The authority has its AIR (audit, investigation and research) section and Customs intelligence department to check infiltration of illegal goods.  

The C&F Agents Association leaders said there were some imported items which needed to undergo 100 per cent physical examination as per rules of the NBR.