Online Desk: The National Board of Revenue (NBR) will observe the International Customs Day 2024 on Friday in Bangladesh and in 185 other countries across the world.

NBR Chairman Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem on Thursday afternoon spoke at a ‘meet the press’ held in the NBR Building, Agargon in the capital.

He said that the customs officials in the country are working hard to serve stakeholders.

He said that automation work has progressed to serve the customer without any interruption.

He said that the NBR enhanced trade facilitation including National Single Window (NSW), Authorised Economic Operator (AEO), National Enquiry Point (NEP), Pre-Arrival Processing (PAP), Advance Ruling, Time Release Study, E-Auction, Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) and Advanced Passenger Information (API).

The customs department is working on the issues of terror finance, money laundering, and environment conservation by preventing the import of products harmful to human and animal health, he said.

The NBR Chairman said, “In the first half of the current fiscal year 2023-24, the NBR has collected revenue of Tk 1.66 lakh crore— Tk49068 crore came from the customs. I saw a growth of 9.16 percent compared to the previous fiscal year.”

In the fiscal year 2022-23, the NBR collected revenue of Tk3.31 lakh crore, of which Tk92,732.35 crore has come from the customs sector.

He said despite higher revenue collection in the first half of the current fiscal year there is revenue shortfall of Tk23,000 crores.

Muneem said that the activities of ‘ASYCUDA World’ have been extended to facilitate the customs duty and shipment of goods.

The NBR also took specific plans to implement an E-payment system for a sustainable delivery system of customs goods, he said.

Marking the day, the NBR will organise a seminar at 10:0 am on Friday at the Multipurpose Hall of the NBR Building in the capital’s Agargaon.

The theme of the day is “Customs Engaging Traditional and New Partners with Purpose”.

Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali will attend the seminar as the chief guest with Senior Secretary of the Internal Resources Division (IRD) and NBR Chairman Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem in the chair.

Finance Division Secretary Dr Md Khairuzzaman Mozumder and Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) President Mahbubul Alam will be present there as the special guests.