Business leaders on Tuesday demanded that the National Board of Revenue should not charge businesses any extra fees for providing customs facility at customs houses on weekly holidays although they had earlier agreed to pay additional fees.
At a discussion meeting on implementation of Business Facilitation Fund, businessmen said the NBR should provide the customs facility on seven days of the week at free of cost for minimising the cost of doing business.
The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry organised the meeting at its auditorium.
Earlier, FBCCI and the NBR had agreed to create the BFF to provide allowances to the staff of Chittagong Customs House for working overtime once NBR implements its decision to keep open the custom house during holidays.
At Tuesday meeting, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association president Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin opposed the idea that the businesses will provide fund to the BFF arguing that the expenses would not be huge for keeping the CCH open on holidays which NBR could bear.
‘The cost of doing business has been increasing tremendously due to global recession and price hike of gas and power. So the NBR should not put any extra pressure on the businessmen,’ he said.
Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association vice-president Mohammad Hatem asked why CCH could not be kept open on holidays if the customs at Hazral ShahJalal International Airport could provide services on holidays.
Customs houses in every country are kept open on holidays, he pointed out.
FBCCI president AK Azad requested the NBR to provide the facility from September without charging extra fees from the businessmen.
‘I request the NBR to provide the services at free of cost though I will discuss with the businessmen about the charges,’ he said.
The NBR chairman Nasir Uddin Ahmed said that the businessmen must pay for the time being for keeping the Chittagong Customs House open on holidays for facilitating foreign trade.
‘The revenue board will take steps to keep the CCH open on hilidays if the businessmen agree to pay for providing incentives to the officials and employees for working overtime,’ Nasir Uddin told the meeting.
It is impossible to keep the customs houses open on holidays due to shortage of manpower, he said.
The NBR will have to give incentives to the officials and employees for working overtime if the businessmen want to get such facilities, he added.
However, the revenue board might provide such services after December when there will be no shortage of manpower, he said.
Bangladesh Tariff Commission chairman Shahab Ullah, NBR member Farid Uddin, among others, spoke at the meeting while CCH additional commissioner Matiur Rahman presented a keynote paper.
-With New Age input
