PSI audit firm appointment hits snag
Sunday, 2 November 2008
FE Report
The appointment of an overseas agency to audit the pre-shipment inspection (PSI) companies by the revenue board has encountered a glitch although the procedures for selecting the company have been finalised.
The evaluation committee of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) selected the US-based National Marine Consultants Inc. (NMCI) as it was the lone responsive company, according to the financial and technical offers submitted.
The problem arose when the NBR received an allegation that the selected US company was earlier blacklisted by the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), a senior revenue board official said.
In this backdrop, the NBR sought BCIC's opinion requesting it to inform further details in this matter, he added.
"The NBR has to conduct further scrutiny on appointing the audit agency to find out whether the allegation was correct or not," he said.
After receiving the feedback from BCIC, the NBR will place the matter to the project evaluation committee to decide on the fate of the appointment, the official said.
Talking to the FE, a BCIC official said: "The US-based company was earlier black listed because of a recommendation made by a government agency. But later it was revealed that the company was clean."
The US company also obtained a High Court (HC) verdict that it had been acquitted of the allegations brought against it.
Asked about the issue, the NBR official said: "We will take further decision on appointing the PSI audit agency on the basis of the evaluation committee's report."
The appointment of an overseas agency to audit the pre-shipment inspection (PSI) companies by the revenue board has encountered a glitch although the procedures for selecting the company have been finalised.
The evaluation committee of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) selected the US-based National Marine Consultants Inc. (NMCI) as it was the lone responsive company, according to the financial and technical offers submitted.
The problem arose when the NBR received an allegation that the selected US company was earlier blacklisted by the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), a senior revenue board official said.
In this backdrop, the NBR sought BCIC's opinion requesting it to inform further details in this matter, he added.
"The NBR has to conduct further scrutiny on appointing the audit agency to find out whether the allegation was correct or not," he said.
After receiving the feedback from BCIC, the NBR will place the matter to the project evaluation committee to decide on the fate of the appointment, the official said.
Talking to the FE, a BCIC official said: "The US-based company was earlier black listed because of a recommendation made by a government agency. But later it was revealed that the company was clean."
The US company also obtained a High Court (HC) verdict that it had been acquitted of the allegations brought against it.
Asked about the issue, the NBR official said: "We will take further decision on appointing the PSI audit agency on the basis of the evaluation committee's report."