Licences of 79 clearing and forwarding agents (C&F) out of 105 at Burimari land port has been 'suspended' for non-payment of customs duty.
Sources at the land port said a section of C&F agents after unloading imports from trucks send the merchandise to importer's destination without paying customs and VAT.
About Tk 18 in customs and VAT, accumulated over the years, is unrealised from the agents, the sources said.
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) and customs authorities tried to realise the unpaid revenue but failed. After repeated efforts, only Tk 1.5 crore could be realised so far, they said.
Of the amount, about Tk 4 crore is due from three C&F firms.
Joint Commissioner of Rajshahi Customs, Excise and VAT Md Motiar Rahman in a fresh order on November 28 suspended licences of 17 C&F agents. Earlier, about a month back, licences of 62 agents were suspended.
Agents whose licences were cancelled on November 28 include the president of Burimari Land Port C&F Agents Association, its general secretary and some other influential persons.
The nearest Sonali Bank branch at Patgram upazila town, about 20 kilometres from Burimari. C&F agents use this as a plea for deferred payments though, as per rule, tax should be paid before unloading goods, they said.
C&F agent Ershad Hossen Saju who, as per record woes Tk 1.95 crore unpaid taxes, told this correspondent that he paid most of the taxes but customs officials are yet to record those in registers.
He also claimed that all register books of 2006 of the land port are missing.
"Thirteen of the C&F agents filed cases with High Court against their suspension”, Saju said.
Assistant commissioner of customs at Burimari land port Mahbubur Rahman, when contacted, admitted that about Tk 16 crore in taxes is unrealised from C&F agents and that licences of 79 of them were cancelled.
He said the situation has improved after proclamation of emergency and customs duty and VAT are collected now.