The average time from arrival to release of sea cargoes is more than 11 hours in Bangladesh, while it is seven days for air freight and over 10 days for land cargoes, according to a recent study.
A group of World Customs Organisation (WCO)-trained customs officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) conducted the Time Release Study (TRS) 2022 in Chattogram seaport, Benapole landport and Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), and found the average release time for imported products.
The TRS report was unveiled in a programme at a city hotel on Monday. Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem, Senior Secretary of the Internal Resources Division (IRD) and Chairman of the NBR, chaired the event.
The TRS capacity building project was funded by State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) of the Government of Switzerland through the WCO-SECO Global Trade Facilitation Programme (GTFP).
Speaking at the report launching programme, the NBR chairman appreciated the customs team's effort to lead the TRS 2022.
He said recommendations of the report would help to bring positive changes to trade facilitation scenario of the country.
Dr Abdul Mannan Shikder, NBR member (grade-1) - customs audit, modernisation and international trade wing, thanked the SECO and other associates for supporting the TRS.
He hoped that the study findings would help to reduce the release time of imported products.
As per the study findings, release of cargo in Chattogram seaport, the country's largest import-export hub, needs approximately 11 days six hours and 23 minutes.
To release air cargo in HSIA, it takes around seven days 11 hours and 19 minutes. In the country's largest landport, Benapole, release of land cargo needs around 10 days eight hours and 11 minutes.
The time is required for various major steps, including arrival of cargo to bill of entry hardcopy submission to customs. The process later needs assessment, followed by payment of duty and taxes, and physical release of goods.
However, completion of the customs procedures, from customs declaration to release, needs eight days for sea cargos, while two days 11 hours for air cargos, and five days four hours for land cargos.
The TRS study report recommended some actions for trade facilitation, including automation of the port activities and simplification of the customs clearance process by addressing duplication of work in Benapole landport.
For Chattogram seaport, the report recommended ensuring coordinated port activities with customs and other government organisations, elimination of redundant steps across customs and port processes, and addressing the need of non-intrusive inspection (NII) technology-based equipment.
For HSIA, it recommended improving cargo handling capacity and implementing the revised Kyoto Convention-compliant risk selectivity module.
The report also suggested conducting TRS on a regular basis to determine the actual release time in the ports and to address loopholes.
Other recommendations of the report included simplification of customs clearance process, rationalisation of customs policies, eliminating redundant steps across customs and port processes, simplification of business process for collecting import documents, and sensitisation of stakeholders.
TRS is a method, endorsed by the WCO, for measuring the time taken by the authorities concerned to release import-export cargoes.
As per Article 7.6 of the Trade Facilitation Agreement of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the member countries are required to measure and publish average release time of import-export goods.
doulot_akter@yahoo.com