Ctg chamber urges NBR to simplify customs clearance, cut business costs

The Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) has urged the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to simplify customs assessment procedures and expedite the release of imported goods, saying bureaucratic delays and repeated inspections continue to increase business costs despite government directives.

In a letter sent today (12 July) to Acting NBR Chairman and Acting Internal Resources Division Secretary Ahsan H Habib, CCCI President Mohammad Amirul Haque called for immediate reforms to streamline customs clearance in line with international standards.

The chamber referred to a recent meeting in Chattogram where Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury directed customs and port authorities to complete customs assessment and cargo release within four days. He also instructed authorities to make idle scanners at Chattogram Port operational and improve port efficiency to reduce vessel and cargo congestion.

However, the chamber said those directives have yet to be reflected in day-to-day customs operations. Importers continue to face delays due to a lack of cooperation by some customs officials, administrative inefficiencies, poor coordination among agencies and unnecessary procedural complications.

According to the letter, customs clearance is often prolonged by repeated inspections of the same shipment by multiple agencies, manual examinations even after containers are scanned, and the need to send samples to Dhaka because of limited local testing facilities.

The chamber also cited delays in verifying certificates of origin despite the availability of electronic certificates (e-CO) and alleged that importers are frequently required to obtain Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) certification for products where such testing is not mandatory.

It said these practices often extend customs clearance to seven or eight days, or even longer. Repeated unpacking and inspections also expose goods to rain and adverse weather, sometimes causing damage that renders products unsellable.

The CCCI further alleged that customs authorities often apply arbitrary value additions instead of prescribed valuation methods. As a result, importers incur additional port storage charges, container detention fees and testing expenses.

Although the Customs Act 2023 introduced paperless customs, pre-arrival processing and risk-based examination, the chamber said businesses have yet to benefit from those provisions due to weak implementation. It urged NBR to adopt international best practices, simplify procedures, speed up cargo release and reduce compliance costs to improve Bangladesh's trade and investment climate.