NBR seeks funds to buy 14 container scanners
The National Board of Revenue plans to buy 14 container scanners to boost examination of export and import consignments and curb evasion of duties through false declaration.
“We currently have 11 scanners and the number is very low compared to the requirement. Moreover, the time for replacing some of the scanners is nearing,” said Md Raich Uddin Khan, first secretary for customs and international trade at the NBR.
“So, we have decided to purchase new machines as scanning has been made mandatory for export and import containers from the current fiscal year.”
Washington-based think-tank Global Financial Integrity earlier this year said $5.9 billion flew out of Bangladesh in 2015 through mis-invoicing in trade with advanced countries. Introduction of more scanners will ease the pressure on physical examination and cut clearance time for containers, Khan said. The scanning machines could be made ready to use at custom houses by the next fiscal year, he said.
The NBR has sought Tk 632 crore from the finance division to buy the scanners. The finance minister has already given his consent to the plan of scanner purchase.
The revenue authority will float tender in this regard soon, according to NBR officials.
Currently, custom houses physically examine 10-15 percent of the imported consignments.
The value of export and import shipments hit $100 billion last fiscal year which made their way to final destinations through six customs houses and 40 customs stations, according to official data.
Six scanners are used at six out of 12 gates of the Chattogram port, which handled 98 percent of the total of 2.86 million containers last fiscal year.
One scanner is deployed at the inland container depot of Kamalapur in Dhaka, one at Mongla seaport and two in Benapole land port, the biggest land port that handles bulk of the trade with India.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on several occasions has said that all the export and import consignments would be scanned before giving clearance for their release.
