|
|
Change Your Life! |
Board of Revenue urged to break monopoly of PSI |
|
News
|
|
|
August 25, 2000
Dhaka (UNB) – Country’s apex trade body FBCCI yesterday urged National Board of Revenue to break monopoly of the Pre-shipment Inspection companies for facilitating businessmen to get competitive services. “We are not getting appropriate services due to monopoly of the PSI companies,” a hardware machinery importer told a tripartite meeting at the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI). Chaired by federation chamber president Abdul Awal Mintoo, the meeting was attended by NBR chairman Zakir Ahmed Khan, member (Customs) Abul Kashem, FBCCI vice president MA Mumin and representatives of the PSI companies. MA Mumin requested the NBR chairman to appoint at least three more PSI companies, one each for the three blocks, and another one for India in particular for better export-import preparatory services. Only a PSI company remained in operation in the country for each block since February 15 to increase revenue and smooth import operations. Mintoo said an audit agency should be appointed immediately and the NBR should introduce a complain centre to solve PSI-related problems. He also urged reintroduction of the regulation of PSI-free import up to the amount of US$ 5,000. Participating in the discussion, FBCCI directors and members complained misbehavior by the officials of PSI companies, harassment, non-implementation of issuance of provisional certificate, delayed issuance of CRF and operational problems. The FBCCI directors who took part in discussion included Abdul Wahed, ASM Kamal Uddin, Dr Mominul Haque, Abdul Haque and Dhaka Chamber director Manzur Ahmed. The representatives of the PSI companies informed that changes were taking place day by day in the newly instituted mechanism aimed at plugging duty evasion. Measures for most of the complains have already been taken, they added. They also proposed to hold talks with the trade associations separately to solve problems of the respective sectors. NBR chairman requested the PSI companies to submit a report on the remaining problems within a day or two and assured the businessmen of negotiating the problems with the PSI companies for solution next week. He stressed the need for identifying the source from where the operational problems originating. “Necessary steps will be taken to solve the existing problems…once the existing problems are solved, the PSI will be established as an ideal system,” the tax administration boss told the meeting. |