The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is expected to decide on appointment of PSI audit firm at its Proposal Evaluation Committee (PEC) meeting on Thursday (tomorrow).

Only one audit firm, M/S National Marine Consultants Inc, out of three contenders' submitted bids, remain alive in scrutiny by PEC. It will now evaluate the bid of National Marine Consultants.

"The bid may be rejected if the audit firm fails to pass the technical fitness in the next meeting as per guidelines of the Public Procurement Regulation (PPR) of the government," a senior official of NBR informed.

The Government had decided to appoint an international audit firm to scrutinize the price quoting of the Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI) companies against the backdrop of suspected import-inspection scam.

Three international audit firms, two from USA and one from EU countries, submitted tenders invited by NBR.

The Government's revenue authority has been trying to appoint an audit firm to ensure check and balance in the function of the PSI companies for a couple of years. But NBR has so far failed due to some legal complications and tight procurement policy of the government.

The Government has taken the move considering the importers' complaints about harassment and delay in getting their consignments after import valuation by the PSI companies.

Recently NBR unearthed irregularities of PSI company M/S Cotecna Inspection SA in importing luxury vehicles.

The Government appointed four PSI companies in September 2005 for a three-year term to continue with the provision for compulsory pre-shipment inspections introduced in 2000.

The companies are Cotecna Inspection SA, SGS (Bangladesh) Limited, Bureau Veritas BIVAC (Bangladesh) Limited and Intertek Testing Limited.

They were appointed to help the customs department, which lacks sufficient logistic support and skilled manpower in carrying out inspection of volumes of imports.