NBR terms it illegal, threatens action
A good number of courier service providers in the country are realising money illegally from the clients while delivering documents in the name of customs duty and service charges, victims have alleged. It has been alleged that some courier services demand varied amounts of money from the clients who receive any document sent from abroad.
Courier service owners say they collect the money as customs duty and service charges.
However, officials in the National Board of Revenue (NBR) said realising any money from clients in the name of customs duty or service charge was illegal.
A customs official told the FE that there was no customs duty less than Tk 1,000 and the clients should be provided with the customs challan or document, if any customs duty is paid.
“Realising any money without giving any such document is totally illegal. Action will be taken, if we get any allegation like this,” he said.
A client identified as Shajia Shabnam complained to the FE that the courier service Asia Express (AE) realised Tk 500 for a gift item weighing 1.2 kg sent by one of her friends from India.
She said her friend sent the gift on payment of all kinds of duties and fees.
While visiting the AE office at Hatkhola Road in the city, the FE reporter found that the courier service provider was preparing fake money receipts and relevant papers to realise money from the clients.
One of the officials of the AE told the FE that they fixed the money based on the weight of a product as ordered by the company high-ups.
When asked, AE owner Towhidul Alam denied the allegation.
First he said the AE collected the money as customs duty. Then he said it was the freight charge and finally said they collected the money as service charge.
When asked about the legal ground, Mr Alam said they did not force any client to pay the money and they took it with consent of the clients.
Another victim, Md Kamruzzaman, a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) examinee, told the FE that the courier service provider SR Courier Service Ltd realised varied amounts of money from him on several occasions during delivery of documents to him.
“The courier service provided me with a nameless money receipt and demanded Tk 400 for every document. I managed him by providing Tk 200 for each,” he added.
He said many of his friends faced the same situation.
An official of the SR Courier told the FE that they collected the money as service charge.
“The amount of charge is not fixed. It varies from document to document and we collect it with consent of the clients,” he said.
Courier Services Association of Bangladesh president Hafizur Rahman Pulak told the FE that such practices by any courier service agency were illegal.
“To realise any money against delivery of a document is totally illegal. According to courier service rule, no company can demand any money from the client as every document is received by a company after realising all charges. However, it is a different issue if any client gives some tips to the messenger willingly,” he said.
He said that they would take action if they get such complaints against any company.
-With The Financial Express input
