SANGSAD BHABAN, Oct 31, 2023 (BSS)- The Customs Bill 2023 was passed today in
the Jatiya Sangsad here aiming to ensure fiscal discipline and accountability
in import revenue collection and trade facilitation.
 
Law Minister Anisul Huq, in absence of finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal,
moved the bill which was unanimously passed by voice votes with Speaker Dr
Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.
 
According to the objective of the bill, revenue collection at the import
level of Bangladesh is being conducted under the Customs Act, 1969.
 
Necessary amendments to this act are brought through the Finance Act in the
budget session every year.
 
However, along with the expansion of foreign trade, in light of the Revised
Kyoto Convention and the Trade Facilitation Agreement signed later for the
purpose of simplifying various procedures of customs, there is a need to
amend the existing law to make the customs law of Bangladesh easy and
compatible with international best practices and to make it business-
friendly.

The Customs Act, 1969 enacted in English language by incorporating
international best practices related to customs was part of the multifaceted
reform and modernisation programme undertaken by the government and the
National Board of Revenue to promote international standards of customs
management in international trade and import and export. Initiatives have
been taken to enact a modern customs law.

Accordingly, a draft of the Customs Act has been prepared in consultation
with various organisations and stakeholders.

Customs Bill, 2023 has been prepared in Bengali language for the purpose of
making up-to-date provisions on revenue collection, expansion of import and
export trade, facilitation of business and expansion of new industrial
sectors, after various reviews and revisions of the draft law following the
above due process.

The salient features of the proposed Customs Act, 2023 are - while the
existing Customs Act, 1969 is framed in English, the proposed 'Customs Act,
2023' is framed in mother tongue Bengali.

The existing Customs Act, 1969 has a total of 223 sections. The proposed
Customs Bill, 2023 has a total of 269 sections, in accordance with
international agreements and conventions approved by the World Customs
Organisation for revenue collection and trade facilitation and international
best practices such as Authorised Economic Operator, Mutual Recognition
Agreement, Electronic Declaration, Risk Management, Post Clearance Audit, Non
Intrusive Inspection etc.

Various essential aspects of the Trade Facilitation Agreement approved under
the leadership of the World Trade Organisation such as Advance Ruling,
Stakeholder's Consultation, National Inquiry Point, Website, Advance
Passenger Information/ Passenger Name Record etc have been included.
 
A number of other important matters have also been inserted in the new act.

If the proposed bill becomes a law, it is expected that fiscal discipline and
accountability will be ensured along with import revenue collection and trade
facilitation.