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NBR guideline for freight forward business soon
Jasim Uddin Haroon
1/23/2006
National Board of Revenue (NBR) is going to introduce a detailed guideline for the freight forward business soon, sources said.
Sources claimed that the outline of the guideline prepared by the NBR have been sent to the ministries of commerce and civil aviation and tourism for their opinions in this connection.
It also claimed that the ministry of shipping had given their consent to it.
"We expect to receive opinions from the ministries of civil aviation and tourism and the commerce within next four to five days. After getting it, we will send it to the ministry of law, justice and parliamentary affairs for vetting", one senior NBR official told the FE Sunday.
Sources said that the guidelines on proposed act included the basic components like licensing procedures, bank guarantees, charge for consignments and other relevant issues pertaining to it.
Freight forwarding business that charges the containerised goods of air and sea cargoes is being run by a section of people without licence and other regulatory framework for long.
In the absence of regulatory framework, they (freight forwarders) are charging indiscriminate fees on the exports and imports, sources claimed.
Exporters and their respective bodies like the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) have been pressing hard to the government and the authorities to get relief from the 'vicious circle'.
Exporters in the city alleged that the freight forwarding agents are extorting additional money on containerised goods that is affecting their business to a great extent.
Exporters alleged that the local freight forwarding agents have been siphoning off money worth millions of dollars to their principal organizations abroad by charging on different grounds on the containersied goods.
On the other hand, two separate freight forwarding organisations stressed on the implementation of the freight-forwarding act of 2000 with necessary amendments. They said that the NBR had prepared new acts basing on the opinions of some vested quarters.
President of International Freight Forwarders Association of Bangladesh (IFFAB) Aminul Islam Mizan said that the act of 2000 should be implemented for the sake genuine freight forwarding business.
"Charge should be reasonable and our opinions should be reflected in the new guidelines" he added.
President of Association of Cargo Agents of Bangladesh (ACAB) Saifur Rahman said that they gave their opinions in favour of the act of 2000 during a meeting with the NBR officials three months back.
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