Trend of importing products giving false declarations decline: Kamal

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Tuesday said trend of importing and exporting products giving false declarations has been reduced since the country’s customs management modernized.

“But, to further modernize the customs system, there is a need to raise the scanner machines at the ports,” he said.

The Finance Minister was addressing a seminar virtually as the chief guest marking the ‘International Customs Day’ and distribution of WCO Certificate of Merit held at the conference room of the NBR building in the city’s Segunbagicha area.

Chaired by NBR Chairman Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem, FBCCI President Sheikh Fazle Fahim, NBR members M Alamgir Hossain, Abdul Mannan Shikder and Masud Sadik spoke, among others, on the occasion while NBR member (Customs Policy and ICT) Syed Golam Kibria made the key-note presentation.

It is very much necessary to make full automation the customs management at the ports to make the import and export operations more safe alongside simplifying the businesses, Kamal said, adding “Then it won’t be possible to import and export goods through giving false declarations while it will also be much easier to scrutiny the necessary papers.”

He said if it is possible to properly scrutinize the declarations of the import and export products, then the revenue collection would increase as well as the business environment would be further eased.

“At the same time, the overall economy will be benefited. The NBR including the customs authority is more business-friendly than before,” Kamal said asking the revenue officials and employees to become more sincere towards providing services in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mustafa Kamal said the NBR has been working to further simplifying business alongside collecting revenues.

“The Custom and VAT authorities have maintained the supply chain through providing uninterrupted services during this pandemic period which was very much necessary during this challenging time. The customs authority has played an effective role to keep operational the import and export activities,” the Finance Minister added.

He said in order to properly determine the tax-GDP ratio, there is a need to determine the actual figures of those which are being exempted as tax, VAT and customs duty against various development projects.

Kamal said if the exempted revenues against various development schemes are properly calculated, then it would be possible to determine the total exempted amount and thus the overall revenue collection.

FBCCI President Sheikh Fazle Fahim said if all the documents of transactions of local distributors of multinational companies could be brought under invoice based system, then many things of informal economy could be brought into formal economy. Side by side, revenue collection will also increase.

NBR Chairman Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem said the customs and VAT operations were not stopped for a single day during the COVID-19 period to keep up the supply chain and also to keep the fair price of goods and products.

He also mentioned that the officials and employees of the revenue board have been working with courage during this pandemic period.

Seven revenue board officials and employees, who have died from Covid-19, were given WCO certificate of Merit posthumously at the seminar.

Besides, 10 officials from the NBR alongside Dhaka and Chattogram Customs Houses and Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) received the WCO Certificate of Merit. The NBR Chairman handed over the certificates.