Drive at Sitakunda shipbreaking yards; owners enforce indefinite strike

Shipbreaking yard owners enforced an indefinite strike this morning after Customs, Excise and VAT Commissionerate in a drive seized documents from at least four yards in Sitakunda of Chattogram on charge of evading VAT.

The papers of Vatiari Steel Shipbreaking Yard, Premier Trade Corporation, Mahinur Shipbreaking Yard and SN Corporation were seized during the drive between afternoon and 8:30pm yesterday, reports our Chattogram staff correspondent.

"All of our associations pay VAT. No question of VAT evasion was raised before and no papers were seized. Yesterday, our papers were seized for the first time. Protesting it, we have suspended all operations in Sitakunda shipbreaking yards," Assistant Secretary of Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association (BSBRA) Nazmul Islam told The Daily Star.

Contacted, Customs, Excise and VAT Commissioner of Chattogram Akbar Hossain said, "Sometime, we seize documents for conducting organisational audit if we receive any VAT evasion complaint. It's part of our regular job. The papers have been seized following concerned law."

"We didn't create any obstacle in operations. We have started investigation upon receiving complaint of VAT evasion. On completion of the investigation, it can be said whether they dodged VAT and if they did, then how much," he said.