CHITTAGONG, Jan 26: Speakers at a seminar urged the authority concerned to bring all the assessment activities in the Chittagong Custom House (CCH) under automation for ensuring paperless documentation and smooth delivery of import cargoes from the port.
In this regard they demanded immediate increase in manpower, specially mid-level and junior-level revenue officers, to cope with the demand for extra workforce to keep CCH functional round-the-clock.
They have also urged the CCH authority to set up scanner machines at all 12 gates of the port to strictly check import of contraband items, evasion of tax and duty, and money laundering etc.
They said these at a seminar organized by CCH at its auditorium on Friday morning on the occasion of International Customs Day 2018.
CCH Commissioner Dr A K M Nuruzzaman presided over the seminar, addressed by Public Works and Housing Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain MP as the chief guest.
Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Chairman Rear Admiral M Khaled Iqbal, National Board of Revenue (NBR) Member - Customs and Vat (Admin) Md Rezaul Hassan, Commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police Md Iqbal bahar, Tax Commissioner (zone-1) in Chittagong Mahbub Hossain, Commissioner - Customs, Excise and Vat Syed Golam Kibria, Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Mahbubul Alam, Chittagong Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vice President A M Mahbub Chowdhury, and Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry Senior Vice President Abida Sultana were present as special guests.
Commissioner - Customs, Excise and Vat (Appeal) Md Enamul Huq made the welcome address in the seminar, while Commissioner - Chittagong Customs Bond Commissionerate Azizur Rahman presented the keynote paper on 'A Secure Business Environment for Economic Development'.
Besides, a number of trade-body leaders, representing importers, exporters, shippers and manufacturers were also present.
Engineer Mosharraf Hossain said tax collectors and other officials engaged in the revenue earning process should be pro-people.
At the same time tax rates for small and medium businesses should be kept at a tolerable level, so that they feel encouraged to pay taxes.
He opined that the customs and port officials should work in coordination to check infiltration of illegal goods through the port.
The minister said he will discuss with the government high-ups the scope of constructing a 40-storey building for CCH on its premises. He asked the authority concerned to prepare a plan to construct the high-rise to bring all customs-related activities under one roof.
The trade-body leaders alleged that CCH introduced partial automation three years back, but still it is all the same as was in 2015 (before launching it).
The businesses are suffering a lot, as ASYCUDA World system did not take a concrete shape, which has increased their sufferings, especially of the importers.
The situation at CCH and Chittagong Port has not improved much despite the introduction of round-the-clock work system due to shortage of revenue officials and employees at CCH and jetty-based workers and officials at the port.
They also blamed the stakeholders of CCH, CPA and the commercial banks for their non-cooperation to ensure the 24x7 operations.
Most of the offices of the importers, exporters and shipping agents do not work on Fridays and Saturdays, and the bank branches concerned also remain closed on these days, they added.
The CCH Commissioner said they keep offices open till late night. But the stakeholders concerned are not available after 7.00 pm on weekdays and on the holidays including Fridays and Saturdays.
He also said the government is very much cordial to make CCH a paperless service provider by taking different modernization programmes for it, whose outcome will be visible within this calendar year.
The project work for setting up scanner at each gate of Chittagong Port has already started. Although full installation of the scanners might not be possible within this fiscal year, they will be installed within the next fiscal, he added.
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