The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has taken an initiative to remove bottlenecks in the process of releasing export-import goods by using the Direct Trader Input (DTI) system.
A Time Release Study (TRS)-2022, conducted by the customs with foreign funding, identified the problems and suggested remedial measures to expedite the clearing and forwarding activities.
In the first phase, as per the study recommendation, the customs authority would scrap the DTI, used for submitting bill of entry (B/E) on imported goods clearance, from three major customs houses.
The Customs International wing of NBR recently sent a letter to the major customs houses in Dhaka, Chattogram and Benapole, seeking an update in a prescribed format by November 30, 2022.
The DTI, maintained by the customs brokers association, was established to facilitate the brokers to submit B/Es in the ASYCUDA World.
"The DTI operates during the office hours only, contradicting the 24x7 customs clearance mandate of the NBR," according to a finding of the TRS.
Moreover, it often allows brokers to submit incomplete declarations, increasing the burden of assistant revenue officers or AROs (assessment) and eventually affecting the efficiency of customs.
Also, several allegations were lodged against the DTI system for being a part of collusion in tax evasion and forgery, said the study.
It found that the DTI system is not aligned with the existing Customs Act/Rules and international best practices stipulated by the WCO and hence should be immediately withdrawn.
"Customs should take the initiative to empower brokers so that they can submit the B/Es from their premises," it added.
The NBR might assess importers' proposals on introducing a self-clearance process for export-oriented industries. Also, it should take capacity-building projects to train the customs brokers to make them responsible partners, it added.
In the TRS, the customs authorities have found that on behalf of the importers, the DTI office submits B/Es, around 90 per cent of those were found in Benapole custom house and 75 per cent in Dhaka Custom House (DCH).
According to the recommendations of the TRS, published in September last, the customs houses have to eliminate DTI-based B/E submission within six to 12 months.
On elimination of the DTI, the customs wing held meetings with stakeholders concerned on October 23 last.
