Misuse of ASYCUDA: NBR warns customs officers

Al Amin :
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has issued warning letters to all the customs houses of the country for misusing ASYCUDA World System in fixing duty and releasing imported goods.
The ASYCUDA World System is the most recent version of the ASYCUDA software which was introduced in 2013 and is now undergoing review and further upgrading by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
The system handles manifests and customs declarations, accounting procedures, and transit and suspense procedures.
The NBR has issued the warning letters followed by some incidents of fixing duty and unloading imported goods by using USERID of other officials in the ASYCUDA recently.
NBR officials said usually the USERID is stopped when an officer leaves the customs house on retirement or transfer ground. The system analyst is responsible for doing it.
But, some revenue officials fixed import duty and released goods by using the USERID of other officials without any specific reasons.
Thus, the government loses huge amount of revenue for the incident and the board found evidence of negligence of the system analysts in this regard.
Following the incidents, NBR issued the warning letters to prevent the unauthorized activities in fixing duty and unloading imported goods in the customs houses. The NBR has term the incidents as “alarming.”
Wishing anonymity, an official of the NBR told The New Nation, “Revenue official must ensure closer of USERID of ASYCUDA when he or she leaves the office on

 transfer or retirement ground. Otherwise, unwanted incidents might be happened. So, the revenue officials must follow the rule strictly.”
Expressing deep concern over the incidents in the letter, the board said that it has been alarmingly noticed that the assigned revenue officers are fixing duty by using USERID of other officers in the ASYCUDA World without mentioning any specific reason.
Following the incident, it is very much important to ensure proper use of the ASYCUDA World and to keep the revenue collection risk- free, the letter said.
The customs houses did not inform the NBR about the issues, though the ASYCUDA World System was introduced in 2013. So, the revenue officers will follow the rules strictly to ensure proper accountability, close monitoring and stop revenue evasion, the letter reads.
No other revenue officer but assigned by concern authority will fix duty of imported goods, the authority will re-assign the officers mentioning valid reasons, if needs, the letter said.
If re-assigned is required for any logical reason, the officer can be appointed on reasonable grounds. In that case written prior approval of the concerned Assistant or Deputy Commissioner has to be taken.
The reason for such re-assign must be documented properly. If the rules are violated without any valid reason, it must be considered as “misconduct,” it said.
And in case of any mishap, the approving officer and the revenue officer will be personally responsible, the letter added.