BGMEA seeks CBC's assistance

BGMEA has urged the Customs Bond Commissionerate (CBC) to ease its export-import audit activities for the ready-made garment (RMG) industry.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) placed a four-point demand to the CBC including an interim arrangement to continue existing services for smooth export-import and bonded warehouse facility.
The apparel apex body urged to remove hassle and penalty of the customs authorities until re-fixation of the minimum limit of wastages in manufacturing knitwear.
Its other demands included issuance of the utilisation permission (UP) to non-bonded direct exporters against their purchases of all goods and services from deemed exporters who have bond licences.
A BGMEA delegation made the request during a meeting with the CBC Commissioner Kazi Mustafizur Rahman at the CBC office in the capital on Monday, according to a statement.
The BGMEA delegation included Senior Vice President SM Mannan (Kochi), Vice President Md Shahidullah Azim, Director Asif Ashraf, former director Munir Hossain, Chairman of Mitali Group Syed Abu Yousuf Abdullah and Managing Director of Sparrow Apparels Shovon Islam (Shawn).
Additional commissioners of Customs Bond Commissionerate Khaled Mohammad Abu Hossain and Md Zakir Hossain were also present at the meeting.
The BGMEA leaders said the Covid-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented crisis in the RMG industry of Bangladesh and it was still struggling to recover from the massive impacts.
The support and cooperation of the CBC would help the RMG industry to address the current challenges and turn around, the leaders mentioned.
The delegation also called for removing complexity related to HS code inclusion and raw material description in bond licences.
The commissioner of the Customs Bond Commissionerate assured of addressing the BGMEA's plea.

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