Muhammad Ayub Ali :
Except for the garment industry, no industries are not allowed to sell their product in the local market through products under bonded facilities, but medical equipment manufacturer JMI has applied to the government for permission to break this rule and sell their products in the country.
According to the Customs Act 2023 of the Bangladesh government, export-oriented industrial companies are allowed to import raw materials and equipment without paying customs duties and taxes to get bonded facilities.
JMI claims that there is a demand for their products in the domestic market and currently no other company is producing products to meet the market demand.
They say that if they get the opportunity to sell their products in the local market, foreign exchange will be saved.
However, experts say that the government should think the matter more deeply so that No one breaks this rule to create a monopoly in the country’s health sector.
Professor, Dr. S. M. Abdur Rahman, Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology told The New Nation that NBR should investigate the matter carefully, so that no one could not do any unlawful activities in the name of the business.
If they found the rationality and legality for this equipment they should take proper initiative for the sake of the nation, he added.
JMI recently wrote a letter to the NBR chairman, in which they specifically seek permission to sell BTS, (Blood Transfusion Service) which is a facility responsible for collecting, testing, and distributing blood, which they produce for kidney patients, in the domestic market.
Despite JMI being influential in the health sector, those concerned are alleging that the company has been the victim of lawsuits for supplying low-quality health equipment.
Besides, JMI was also accused of supplying ordinary face masks in the name of supplying N-95 masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, putting healthcare workers at risk.
Stakeholders feel that JMI is causing losses to importers by capturing the market for its products, and this has led to discomfort among healthcare workers.
