Dhaka Customs automated
Export-import activities of the Dhaka Customs House (DCH) have gone automated amid hopes of providing prompt and transparent services to the business community.
The Tk 6 crore project (the cost of the first phase) is expected to double revenues in the next two years, reducing the cost of doing business by at least 70 percent and saving custom processing time by 80 percent.
At present, more than 1,200 bills of entry pass through DCH every day, which generates Tk 3.5 billion in revenue a year.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith inaugurated the project that was developed by Datasoft Management Services, a local software maker.
Stakeholders, including airlines, agent feeder, airline feeder, airline operator, airline express, C&F agents, airport custom, custom intelligence, bond commission, Bangladesh Biman, Dhaka Inland Container Depot, preshipment inspection companies, Dhaka Export Processing Zone, National Board of Revenue, Sonali Bank and freight forwarders, have been linked under the automation.
"The automation will save time and ensure accountability," said the minister. "There could be some problems in initiating such a step, but we should look forward to."
Commerce Minister Faruk Khan said successful implementation of the automation process would change the mindset of the challengers of the initiative.
Describing the automation as a 'step against corruption', Khan said import-export will take place more smoothly and commodity price will fall as a result.
According to the project outline, customs clearance procedures will be reduced to six stages from the current 42 steps under DCH automation.
The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) initiated the project idea last year. Later, DCCI and DCH signed a memorandum of understanding to execute the project.
The Armed Forces Division and Bangladesh Investment Climate Fund (BICF) of IFC also supported the project from the beginning.
Earlier, the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry fully automated the Chittagong Customs House at a cost of nearly Tk 20 million.
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