City Desk :
The Customs Bill 2023 was passed on Tuesday 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, reports BSS.
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.
