[Bangladesh] Customs embraces e-governance, partially

["Irfan Khan" <khania2@super.net.pk>]

Date: Sun, 01 Jun 2003 04:40:04 -0000
   From: "BANGLA ICT"<banglaict@yahoo.com>
Subject: Customs embraces e-governance, partially


Customs embraces e-governance, partially

By S M Jahangir
The Financial Express 


The country''s three major customs operations are likely to be 
interconnected with a computer software by October to ensure 
transparency and prompt services, official sources said. The ASYCUDA 
++ software will establish links among the Internal Container Depot 
(ICD), the Dhaka customs operations and the Chittagong Port, under a 
World Bank-funded project, the sources at the National Board of 
Revenue (NBR) said.  

The project is aimed at enhancing the capacity of the NBR to monitor 
the handling of the export-import trade by the institutions and 
ensuring transparency of the institutions to facilitate speedy 
delivery of services. The scheme was launched by the Ministry of 
Commerce in 1999 under the a $10 million Customs Administration 
Modernisation (CAM) programme, the sources said, adding it was one of 
the four components of the Export Diversification Project (EDP).  

An NBR official said 60 to 70 per cent of the total works had already 
been completed and the remaining works are expected to be completed 
by October, 2003. The official also said after installation of the 
online system in the three major customs agencies, the authorities 
have also a plan to bring such other activities under similar system 
in phases. Benapole and Hili customs operations are among those to be 
brought under the system in the next phase, he said, adding the World 
Bank can be approached for more fund for the purpose. Sources said 
the complex and prolonged customs procedures are affecting the 
country''s export and import activities.  

Exporters and importers often feel harassed because of the procedural 
delays caused by the manual system of customs operations. Keeping 
this in mind, the government with the financial support from the WB 
launched the CAM programme to make the country''s customs authorities 
more effective and service-oriented. The three-year programme, 
scheduled to end by December, 2002, was extended until December, 
2003. A total of $6.0 million has so far been disbursed under the 
programme, the official added. (The Financial Express)