The Ministry of Shipping has asked the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) to update it about the measures taken, in line with a Cabinet Division order, to prevent the delivery of cargoes through false declaration and tax evasion.
The Cabinet Division had issued a letter back in 2019 after being requested by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which asked for measures to check corruption in seaports and river ports.
The ACC had suggested taking steps for scanning hundred per cent import and export cargo-laden containers to prevent tax evasion.
Until the required number of scanners is installed, the ACC recommended hundred per cent physical verification of cargoes so that none can take delivery of import cargoes and send export cargoes through false declaration.
In addition, the corruption watchdog had suggested keeping the place of physical verification of cargoes under watch of closed-circuit cameras and engaging higher officials to carry out the activity.
The ACC had also recommended that the required costs be realised from the importers to carry out the activities of hundred per cent physical verification of cargoes.
A senior CPA official told the FE that at present the Chittagong port has only five permanent and two mobile scanners at its six gates. The remaining six gates of the port, through which export and import cargoes are also transported, have no scanners.
Officials fear that the traders might take advantage of dodging tax through miss declaration due to the absence of scanners at the gates.
The cabinet committee on government procurement in November last year had approved procurement of six container scanner systems to be installed at three sea and land ports, to check duty evasion in the processes of exports and imports.
Following that, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) in January this year signed a deal with Nuctech Company Ltd, a Chinese partially state-owned security inspection products’ company headquartered in Beijing, to install the scanners.
The installation of the scanners is now under process, said an official.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal last year told newsmen that scanners will be set up at all the gates of land and seaports in the country to check duty evasion by the unscrupulous traders.
He also said that through this process, siphoning off money abroad can be contained to some extent what a section of the people is now doing through under- and over-invoicing of trade.
Source: Financial Express