The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Chittagong

The long-awaited automation of the operational activities of Chittagong Customs House (CCH), country's single largest revenue earning facility, will start on June 28.

Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) is providing necessary logistic supports including finance to introduce the automation of export-import procedures under an agreement with the CCH.

Officials and businessmen told BSS here today that introduction of automation system in the export-import trade procedures of CCH would significantly reduce irregularities and corruption, particularly the tax-dodging, and ensure speedy delivery and shipment of import-export cargoes from now on.

"We have completed all necessary trial preparations for smooth functioning of the automation system," said Matiur Rahman, Joint Commissioner of CCH supervising the process.

He said the entire process of Import General Manifesto (IGM) module would be brought under the 1st phase of automation while total operation of the CCH including the process related to duty assessment for import cargoes and documentation of export cargoes would be done through on-line facilities after 15 days.

The CCH sources said three vital phases in import trade including noting, examination and amendment in the process of IGM submission and at least seven phases of delivery of cargos at jetty point would be abolished due to completion of the job through on-line system instead of existing conventional method.

For example, Matiur Rahman said, a consignee will be able to go through the entire IGM submission process within 10 minutes instead of usual three hours and complete the delivery process within 30 minutes instead of 2-30 hours after introduction of the automation system.

"If the full automation becomes functional, a consignee can do the whole export process from his business establishment without physical presence at the CCH through on- line," he said adding that a trader under this system would be able to do the job at anytime without taking help of others.

According to the officials, initially several select local and multi-national companies having good business track record would be given a freedom to conduct their respective export-import trade procedure through on-line but the CCH authorities would examine their business practices after every six months on the basis of post-audit report.

"The estimated value of saved time due to automation is roughly Taka 100 per month and the annual revenue earning through CCH may increase by 20 percent because of transparency in the export-import procedure" Matiur Rahman said.

For the first time in the last five years, he said, the CCH earned Taka 1,445.85 crore more in revenue income over the targeted Taka 11,893.25 crore even before the expiry of current fiscal year due mainly to massive reform and constant vigilance by the Army-led joint forces in one and a half years.

The CCH earned Taka 9645.25 crore in revenue income in 2003- 2004, Taka 10,874 crore in 2004-2005, Taka 10,711.18 crore in 2005-2006, Taka 10,687.83 crore in 2006-2007 and Taka 13,339.09 crore in the current fiscal year up to June 11.

Matiur Rahman said installation of sufficient numbers of container scanning machines was a must to get full results of the automation. CCCI will realize Taka 50 per Bill of Entry as automation service charge to meet their expenditure for the new system as well as its time-to-time maintenance and upgradation, he said.

CCCI President Saifuzzaman Chowdhury told BSS that the much- expected automation system would make the complicated export- import trade smooth and hassle-free side by side with significantly reducing corruption in this sector.

"Apart from brightening the image of Bangladesh abroad, the automation will protect the honest businessmen from harassment and keep away the tax dodgers from doing illegal businessmen," he said.