Probe into evasion of duty on luxurious car import begins
Tuesday, 24 July 2007
Doulot Akter Mala
The government has launched an investigation into alleged evasion of duty on import of luxurious vehicles by some traders.
A five-member team of the government has started the probe into the alleged cases of duty evasion by the car importers.
Representatives of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the joint forces and the Inland Container Depot (ICD) have been assigned to submit an investigation report by next month.
The team has already found some importers evading customs duty to the tune of Tk 1.8 million each on import of eight Hummer (H-3) luxurious vehicles, sources said.
The duty is currently about 200 per cent on import of this type of car.
Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI) companies quoted the price of those cars at US$ 17,000 each, while the actual price is more than $ 30,000 each, sources added.
The sources have confirmed the duty evasion on import of those cars.
They have found that some importers have brought in the expensive and luxurious cars showing much lower prices than those at the manufacturers' level.
The investigating team is collecting necessary information from the embassies and manufacturers to verify the allegation.
It will take stern action against those corrupt importers as well as the PSI companies after collecting all necessary documents, sources said.
The Member of Parliament (MPs) imported those luxurious Hummer cars under duty-free facility of the government over the past few years.
The government, in April last, cancelled the privilege of duty-free import of vehicles by the lawmakers for misusing the facility.
The MPs imported at least 303 cars in the period between 2001 and 2006 under the duty-free scheme, which caused Tk 2.11 billion in revenue losses for the government, sources said.
The MPs were given the privilege to import duty-free cars on May 24, 1988.
The government has launched an investigation into alleged evasion of duty on import of luxurious vehicles by some traders.
A five-member team of the government has started the probe into the alleged cases of duty evasion by the car importers.
Representatives of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the joint forces and the Inland Container Depot (ICD) have been assigned to submit an investigation report by next month.
The team has already found some importers evading customs duty to the tune of Tk 1.8 million each on import of eight Hummer (H-3) luxurious vehicles, sources said.
The duty is currently about 200 per cent on import of this type of car.
Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI) companies quoted the price of those cars at US$ 17,000 each, while the actual price is more than $ 30,000 each, sources added.
The sources have confirmed the duty evasion on import of those cars.
They have found that some importers have brought in the expensive and luxurious cars showing much lower prices than those at the manufacturers' level.
The investigating team is collecting necessary information from the embassies and manufacturers to verify the allegation.
It will take stern action against those corrupt importers as well as the PSI companies after collecting all necessary documents, sources said.
The Member of Parliament (MPs) imported those luxurious Hummer cars under duty-free facility of the government over the past few years.
The government, in April last, cancelled the privilege of duty-free import of vehicles by the lawmakers for misusing the facility.
The MPs imported at least 303 cars in the period between 2001 and 2006 under the duty-free scheme, which caused Tk 2.11 billion in revenue losses for the government, sources said.
The MPs were given the privilege to import duty-free cars on May 24, 1988.