Business Reporter :
The used and old picture tubes are still being imported from China though it was banned as per the country’s Import Policy 2012-15, traders said.
Violating the law, some unscrupulous traders are still importing the item and making low quality CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) televisions, pushing huge investment into peril.
Picture tube is only required to manufacture CRT televisions, the industry insiders said.
Besides, such picture tubes, which are used in CRT TV, are posing a serious threat to consumers’ health and environment as well as these televisions extract ultra violate ray which creates a negative impact on human bodies, especially on eyes of the viewers.
In addition, there is a scope of capital flight, stakeholders of the sector said. The importers have to count more than US$ 29 for purchasing a new picture tube whereas they get an used or old picture tube at $ 10.
As the import of used or old picture tubes is banned, importers are bringing those by showing purchase papers for new ones. Consequently, a huge amount of local currency is now being laundered by over invoicing, the industry insiders said.
Under such circumstances, the sector’s stakeholders have urged both the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the customs authorities to be more cautious about offloading the imported picture tubes so that the banned ones cannot enter into the country’s electronics market.
Although the NBR instructed the authorities to offload imported picture tubes after proper lab test and 100 per cent physical inspection, the board did not make the lab test compulsory. Taking this opportunity, some dishonest businessmen are still importing the old and used picture tubes.
Meanwhile the stakeholders urged the NBR for making the lab test of the imported picture tubes compulsory before offloading and the lab test should be taken place only by the custom authority.
The sector’s entrepreneurs already placed this proposal in the proposed Import Policy for 2015 to 18.
Md Masud Sadik, commissioner of Chittagong Custom House, said, “We had already served show cause notice to some importers as they imported old and used picture tubes against the deceleration of the imports of new picture tubes.
The customs authorities should offload the imported picture tubes after getting the testing certificate, he said.
The used and old picture tubes are still being imported from China though it was banned as per the country’s Import Policy 2012-15, traders said.
Violating the law, some unscrupulous traders are still importing the item and making low quality CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) televisions, pushing huge investment into peril.
Picture tube is only required to manufacture CRT televisions, the industry insiders said.
Besides, such picture tubes, which are used in CRT TV, are posing a serious threat to consumers’ health and environment as well as these televisions extract ultra violate ray which creates a negative impact on human bodies, especially on eyes of the viewers.
In addition, there is a scope of capital flight, stakeholders of the sector said. The importers have to count more than US$ 29 for purchasing a new picture tube whereas they get an used or old picture tube at $ 10.
As the import of used or old picture tubes is banned, importers are bringing those by showing purchase papers for new ones. Consequently, a huge amount of local currency is now being laundered by over invoicing, the industry insiders said.
Under such circumstances, the sector’s stakeholders have urged both the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the customs authorities to be more cautious about offloading the imported picture tubes so that the banned ones cannot enter into the country’s electronics market.
Although the NBR instructed the authorities to offload imported picture tubes after proper lab test and 100 per cent physical inspection, the board did not make the lab test compulsory. Taking this opportunity, some dishonest businessmen are still importing the old and used picture tubes.
Meanwhile the stakeholders urged the NBR for making the lab test of the imported picture tubes compulsory before offloading and the lab test should be taken place only by the custom authority.
The sector’s entrepreneurs already placed this proposal in the proposed Import Policy for 2015 to 18.
Md Masud Sadik, commissioner of Chittagong Custom House, said, “We had already served show cause notice to some importers as they imported old and used picture tubes against the deceleration of the imports of new picture tubes.
The customs authorities should offload the imported picture tubes after getting the testing certificate, he said.
Otherwise, the imports of banned picture tubes will not be stopped and the real entrepreneurs will lose their huge investment due to the reduction of their price competitiveness.
According to the information of Chittagong Port and customs houses, a total of 20 bills of entries had been submitted to the Chittagong Port’s customs authorities to offload the imported picture tubes.
After completing the inspection of the imported picture tubes, the customs authorities found that the imported picture tubes against the 8 bills of entries were used and old. Later, they issued show cause notices to the concerned authorities.
According to the Chittagong Port’s customs officials, the traders imported 66,938.8 tonnes picture tubes in October 2014.
