Benapole Customs House has recorded a 29.78 per cent growth in revenue earning in the first seven months of FY2021-2022, up from 19.48% during the corresponding period last year despite Covid-19 disruptions, customs sources said. According to the sources at Benapole Customs House, revenue earning from trading along this border already crossed Tk. 2436 crore from July to January against the fiscal year’s target of Tk 5100 crore. Earning during the first seven months of the last fiscal was over Tk.2225 crore. However, many importers are avoiding the country’s largest land trading route because of its zero-tolerance policy against malpractices, said one official. Joint Commissioner of Benapole Customs, Abdur Rashid, said measures such as digital automation, prevention of tax dodging and smuggling and auction of goods for failure to on-time collection have helped streamline the trading along this route.   Besides, strict action was also taken against the importers and C&F Agent Association for false declaration and fraudulence, he said. Already, three licences have been cancelled and 14 others suspended the last seven months for flouting rules, said Rashid.  

Benapole Customs House has fallen short of its targeted revenue by Tk509 crore in the first six months of the current 2021-22 fiscal as the customs house collected about Tk1,991 crore against a target of Tk2,500 crore. However, Tk101 crore more was collected this time than the first six months of 2019-20 fiscal year. At that time the revenue collection target was Tk 1,889 crore. In the first six months of this year, 11,53,034 metric tonnes of goods have been imported which was 11,53,034  metric tonnes in the first six months of 2019-20 fiscal year. Besides, 2,76,003 metric tonnes have been exported this time which was 1,76,296 metric tonnes in the first half of 2019-20. Although imports have declined slightly compared to last year, exports have increased. According to Benapole Customs sources, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has set a revenue target of Tk 6,245 crore for imported goods this year. Earlier, in the fiscal year 2020-21, the revenue target at Benapole port was Tk 6,244.62 crore. At the end of last fiscal year, Tk 4,143 crore was collected. Although the growth of revenue during the year was higher than other times, the deficit was Tk 2,057 crore. Besides, the shortfall was Tk 3,392 crore against the target in 2019-20 fiscal year while it was Tk1,145 crore in 2018-19 and Tk 179.64 crore in 2017-18. Can the target ever be achieved? Meanwhile, there are doubts in all sections about achieving the target of such a large amount this year. Experts said it is necessary to develop the infrastructure in customs and ports to expand trade in order to increase revenue, which is a long term prospect. Otherwise, it will never be possible to collect the expected amount of revenue. The businessmen of India and Bangladesh are more interested in trade through this port due to the ease of communication. However, due to lack of necessary infrastructure, traders cannot import products as per the demand. And so, the revenue is declining continuously. Sazedur Rahman, general secretary of the Benapole C&F Agent Association, said it will be difficult to collect such a large amount of revenue in the current fiscal year because of the Covid situation. However, the record clearly shows even prior to Covid the port always missed its target.

Import activities of perishable goods through Benapole Land Port resumed on Thursday night after three months.

Benapole Customs House has failed to achieve its revenue collection target between July and November.