Tariff commission to conduct study on trade barriers
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Doulot Akter Mala
The government has taken a move to conduct a comprehensive study on 'Trade facilitation: problems and way forward' to identify major roadblocks to the promotion of international trade and the reduction of cost of doing business. The Bangladesh Tariff Commission (BTC) has formed a six-member expert team to collect data from the Chittagong port, banks, agricultural division, National Board of Revenue (NBR), export-import controller offices, railway, inland container depot, trade licence issuance institutions and clearing and forwarding agents. "Cost of doing business is very high in our country which should be reduced immediately to make the local industries competitive and profitable," said Mojibur Rahman, chairman of the Bangladesh Tariff Commission (BTC). Specially, agro-based trading cannot progress amid time consuming procedures, he said. "The team will collect information from different sate-owned agencies to find out the actual cost of doing business which is affecting competitiveness of the country in the international market," he said. The BTC study which is expected to be concluded next month, he told the FE Monday. "We will suggest the government to address key findings of the study and ensure fast delivery of imported products, issuance of different certificates and simplification of procedures concerning business and trade-related activities," he added. The BTC team will discuss the matter with all trade bodies and leading associations to know their problems, he added further. The main goal of the study is to open a single window for completion of all procedures relating to export-import, the BTC chief said. All the existing procedures are time consuming that hinders fast growth of business, he said. "Opening letters of credit (L/Cs), getting testing certificates and other relevant procedures can be simplified by identifying the actual reason of delay," he added. Officials said the BTC team has collected information on how many certificates required in different stages of product delivery from the factory to shipment and on reverse order from ships to the factory. The team has visited Chittagong port to find out problems, actual time and cost of obtaining different clearance certificates. Having visited the Chittagong port, the team has collected information on container scanner, customs automation and the single window system. The BTC chairman said the World Bank (WB) has initiated another study on trade facilitation to suggest the government on removing the obstacles to smooth trade. The tariff commission is conducting the trade facilitation study on behalf of the government. The policymakers, if they desire so, will take decisions and steps relating to trade facilitation on the basis of both the reports and suggestions submitted by the BTC and the WB, he added.
The government has taken a move to conduct a comprehensive study on 'Trade facilitation: problems and way forward' to identify major roadblocks to the promotion of international trade and the reduction of cost of doing business. The Bangladesh Tariff Commission (BTC) has formed a six-member expert team to collect data from the Chittagong port, banks, agricultural division, National Board of Revenue (NBR), export-import controller offices, railway, inland container depot, trade licence issuance institutions and clearing and forwarding agents. "Cost of doing business is very high in our country which should be reduced immediately to make the local industries competitive and profitable," said Mojibur Rahman, chairman of the Bangladesh Tariff Commission (BTC). Specially, agro-based trading cannot progress amid time consuming procedures, he said. "The team will collect information from different sate-owned agencies to find out the actual cost of doing business which is affecting competitiveness of the country in the international market," he said. The BTC study which is expected to be concluded next month, he told the FE Monday. "We will suggest the government to address key findings of the study and ensure fast delivery of imported products, issuance of different certificates and simplification of procedures concerning business and trade-related activities," he added. The BTC team will discuss the matter with all trade bodies and leading associations to know their problems, he added further. The main goal of the study is to open a single window for completion of all procedures relating to export-import, the BTC chief said. All the existing procedures are time consuming that hinders fast growth of business, he said. "Opening letters of credit (L/Cs), getting testing certificates and other relevant procedures can be simplified by identifying the actual reason of delay," he added. Officials said the BTC team has collected information on how many certificates required in different stages of product delivery from the factory to shipment and on reverse order from ships to the factory. The team has visited Chittagong port to find out problems, actual time and cost of obtaining different clearance certificates. Having visited the Chittagong port, the team has collected information on container scanner, customs automation and the single window system. The BTC chairman said the World Bank (WB) has initiated another study on trade facilitation to suggest the government on removing the obstacles to smooth trade. The tariff commission is conducting the trade facilitation study on behalf of the government. The policymakers, if they desire so, will take decisions and steps relating to trade facilitation on the basis of both the reports and suggestions submitted by the BTC and the WB, he added.