Almost 15pc of consignments get in thru misdeclartion

Around 15 percent of consignments are imported through misdeclartion, but the customs authorities find it challenging to detect those due to a lack of information, skills and institutional capacity, said a senior official of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) yesterday.

Md Farid Uddin, member of customs policy of the NBR, said this at a programme at the city's Agargaon marking the World Customs Day, which was being observed in 179 countries.

To mark the day, the NBR also give recognition to seven agencies and 12 customs officials with World Customs Organisation Certificate of Merit at the programme.

The agencies are Office of Attorney General, Bangladesh Border Guard, Rapid Action Battalion, Bangladesh Coast Guard, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Bangladesh Land Port Authority, and Chittagong Port Authority.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith handed over the certificates.

Farid, in a paper,said money laundering, import of counterfeit items and inadequate digitisation of customs and infrastructure are major challenges to the customs office.

Meanwhile, marking the day, speakers at a programme in the port city urged the government to solve manpower crisis in Chittagong Customs House to facilitate import and export activities through Chittagong Port smoothly.

The seminar was organised by the local offices of NBR at Chittagong Customs House.

Chittagong Customs Commissioner AFM Abdullah Khan said they are now working with 35 percent of workforce at the level of assistant revenue officers, assistant commissioners and deputy commissioners.