CHITTAGONG, July 13: Any bilateral transit deal of Bangladesh with India or any quadrilateral deal with Bhutan, Nepal and India may prove suicidal for the local industrial units, if there is no control mechanism in the first place, businesses have said.
They welcomed the decision on signing of such agreements for allowing cross-border movement of cargo vehicles, as the government of Bangladesh could put efforts to benefit from the growing demand for regional connectivity.
The Chittagong Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CMCCI) wrote a letter to the chairman of the NBR (National Board of Revenue) Sunday urging the board to ensure a control mechanism so that unauthorised trade could be avoided.
Unauthorised trade could occur through: (1) transit diversion, whereby transit goods intended for the north-eastern Indian states may be marketed in Bangladesh, and (2) inaccurate customs declaration.
CMCCI President Khalilur Rahman suggested that the trade agreement should provide a framework relating to customs documentation and processing procedures. Also, harmonised customs declaration must be ensured.
All entry and exit points must be equipped with scanners, portable scanners and well-calibrated weighing scales to check compliance with the declaration.
The trade body said presently the entry and exit points are not well-equipped and the weighing scales are found out of order at a few locations. For example, the weighing scale at Tamabil is outdated.
Spare weighing scales should be installed at every entry and exit points to make sure that no one deliberately manipulates the scale. On both sides of the customs station, tracking of the trucks should be done hourly. Any truck taking a longer time to come to the exit point should be thoroughly investigated.
The letter further said the customs department must have skilled and energetic officials and a special task force with a view to minimising the incidents of customs fraud and avoidance of levy charges, fees for weighing, scanning and sealing, and the toll for use of roads, bridges and parking.
In this connection the businesses referred to the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement which hurts the Pakistan economy severely. Pakistanis go to Afghanistan, get import letters of credit (L/C) opened for goods like fridge, AC, furniture etc. When the goods arrive, these get discharged on the way within Pakistan and the customs check-post in Afghanistan simply stamps the goods passed.
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