NBR to introduce risk-based PCA
Al Amin :
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is going to introduce risk-based Post Clearance Audit (PCA) activities maintaining international standards to facilitate export-import trading in the country.
The NBR is introducing the automated post clearance system to face the growing number of the export and import activities in the country as the PCA system is regarded as an important tool to expedite import-export clearance.
Under the system, NBR will conduct two types— transaction-based and system-based-PCA. Under the transaction-based PCA, a particular bill of entry will be audited and if any intentional irregularities are found, the NBR will impose a penalty on the importer.
On the other hand, all the customs related documents will be audited under the system-based PCA and if there are intentional irregularities, the trader will be fined.
As a result, the system will help collect unpaid duty-tax and increase voluntary compliances in the businesses, the NBR officials added.
Implementing the automated auditing system, NBR will issue an office order in this regard very soon, officials of the NBR said.
They said that the introduction of the risk-based post clearance audit system will facilitate traders by reducing time and cost of imports.
An Automated Risk Management Software (ARMS) is being developed and some criteria as per the guidelines of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) are being determined to implement the automated auditing system, the officials said.
As a member state of the WTO-TFA, the NBR has initiated to develop the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Customs PCA Risk Management-2023 to carry out post clearance audit activities by identifying risky establishments through risk assessment, they added.
Currently, customs officials scrutinise all documents of selected import consignments based on some risk factors including nature of import and track record of importers and clearing agents under the PCA system after releasing the goods from the port.
But, after developing the risk-based PCA, the software will select business entities for audit, the customs officials said.
The WCO acknowledged trainer provided by Asian Development Bank (ADB) has assisted the NBR to determine criteria of the system, the NBR officials said.
The ADB also arranged two workshops in Gazipur and Coxes Bazar to make the draft of the Risk based PCA and to develop the PCA manual with the support.
Some officials of the NBR have been joined and prepared as trainers for the System Based PCA and Transaction Based Audit also.
As per ADB guided policy action, three pilots of System Based Audit which is quite new have been ongoing with the three different teams.
Hopefully, SBA will introduce better policy orientations in the field of PCA and business people will enjoy hassle free Customs operations after introduction of Automated Risk Based PCA throughout the country, the officials added.
The purpose of such audits is to verify the accuracy and authenticity of declarations and covers the control of traders’ commercial data, business systems, records and books.
