Desk Report,
Import-export disrupted by NBR program, traders affected
One of the country’s leading industrial groups, PRAN-RFL Group, imports 200 containers of raw materials through Chittagong Port every day. On the other hand, 150 to 175 containers of products are exported daily. However, due to the complete shutdown program of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the import and export of the industrial group’s products have been suspended since last Saturday.
Import-export disrupted by NBR program, traders affected
When asked, PRAN-RFL Group Director (Marketing) Kamruzzaman Kamal told Prothom Alo that the supply system is being seriously hampered due to the suspension of import and export of products. Raw materials imported from abroad reach the factory. Again, products are produced and exported using those raw materials. If the current deadlock continues, product exports will be seriously disrupted. If the imported products cannot be released, there will be no option but to close the factory due to lack of raw materials.
Kamruzzaman also said, “We will have to pay compensation (port demurrage) of about 8 thousand dollars last Saturday because the customs are closed. As long as customs remain closed, our losses will continue to increase. He said that last fiscal year, PRAN-RFL Group exported goods worth $550 million to different countries of the world.
Due to the complete shutdown program of officials and employees, there has been a standstill in the overall activities of NBR, including import and export of goods. Due to this program called by the NBR Reform Unity Council, revenue activities at the NBR building in Dhaka and all the country’s custom houses and customs stations, including the organization’s Chittagong Sea Port, Benapole and Sonamasjid Land Ports, Dhaka Customs House, have been closed since 6 am on Saturday. This has stopped all types of customs clearance activities for import and export of goods.
Due to the standstill, the export of vegetables and fruits through Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport has been stopped. As the customs were closed, exporters took back about 100 tons of vegetables from the airport last Saturday. Not only that, the organizers have decided to end the ongoing fruit fair in Qatar a day early due to the inability to send products. The fair, jointly organized by the Qatar government and the Bangladesh embassy, began on June 25. The fair was scheduled to last until July 1. 22 exporters and 2 farmers from Bangladesh participated in it.
Bangladesh Fruits Vegetables and Allied Products Exporters Association General Secretary Mansur Ahmed confirmed the matter. He told Prothom Alo that since vegetables and fruits are not being exported, they are being sold in the market at one-third the price. A bigger problem is that the supply system is disrupted.
