November 3, 2020: The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has initiated to turn the Bhumra Customs Station in Satkhira into a full-fledged customs house to facilitate and improve import and export between Bangladesh and neighbouring countries, official sources said. Over Tk 5000 crore revenue will be earned from the land port, if the station, a long waited demand of the importers, is made with ensuring all facilities.
K M Tariqul Islam, Chairman of the Bhumra Land Port Authority, said the fifth advisory committee meeting of the port development was held chaired by the State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury on September 24, 2019 considering the importance of the port.
As per the decision of the meeting, the port authorities sent a letter to the NBR on October this year seeking necessary measures to make the land port a full-fledged Cumstoms House by ensuring all facilities and permission for all imported goods, except banned items, through the port. Besides, Bhumra Customs Clearing and Forwarding Agents Association sent another letter to the NBR chairman on October 20 this year.
In the letter, the association placed five-point demand-permission for all imported items, setting up a separate truck terminal in the port, implementation SAFTA agreement, enhancement of manpower including appointment a joint commissioner and stopping irregularities by appointed labour contractor.
Following the letters, NBR chairman formed a committee headed by a first secretary to scrutinize the reality. As the recommendations of the committee, NBR has initiated to make the port a complete customs house to facilitate the country’s importers with priority basis, NBR sources said.
The other infrastructural development works will be implemented by the Shipping Ministry, they added. The importers said the other land ports offer some duty exemption for imported goods, but Bhomra port does not, although the port is very close to Indian largest land ports Kolkata and Holdia.
Besides, the port officials harass importers in many ways and the businesses are becoming more interested in importing goods through Benapole and other ports. So, making the land port a complete customs house is a dire need for the sake of the country.
Twenty-two types of goods are regularly imported through the Bhomra land point, most of which are fruits, though 77 types goods were supposed to import though the port.
Md Mustafizur Rahman Nasim, General Secretary of the Bhomra Clearing and Forwarding (C&F) Agents Association, said, “Seventy-seven products are permitted to be imported through the port, but 22 products are imported regularly. These are apples, pomegranates, grapes, chillis, tomatos, turmeric, ceramic products (raw material for tiles), dried fish, ginger, tamarind, dried plums (boroi), stones, garlic, pepper, cumin, onions (not being imported now), and rice.”
NBR will be able to earn over Tk 5000 crore revenue yearly, if the port is being made a full-fledged customs house by ensuring all facilities as Indian exporters choose the port for comfortable transportation system, he added.
Since inception in 2001, Bangladesh Land Port Authority has been functioning under the Ministry of Shipping and so far, 23 Land Customs Stations have been declared as Land Ports. Of the declared ports, Benapole, Bhomra, Burimari, Akhaura, Nakugaon and Tamabil are being operated by own management of BLPA.
Source: The New Nation
