Online duty payment system for imports-exports launched

Business Desk :

In a major step toward modernising trade facilitation, the Finance Division and the National Board of Revenue (NBR) have launched a fully automated system for the real-time deposit of customs duties and taxes.
The new digital platform, known as the automated challan or a-challan system, officially went live at the beginning of the 2024-25 fiscal year.
The system allows importers, exporters, and clearing and forwarding (C&F) agents to instantly pay customs duties through online banking, debit and credit cards, and mobile financial services (MFS) such as bKash, Nagad, and Rocket.
The a-challan has been fully integrated with the Customs’ Asycuda World system and the Finance Division’s iBAS++ platform, ensuring seamless and secure fund transfers directly to the government treasury.
Previously, payments made through the Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system often took several days to reflect in the government accounts, causing delays in the release of imported goods. With the a-challan system, transactions are completed in real time, significantly expediting the customs clearance process and improving overall trade efficiency.
In addition to online options, businesses can still opt to make payments offline at any of the 11,700 branches of 61 designated commercial banks nationwide.
According to an NBR press release, the a-challan system was piloted successfully at Kamalapur Inland Container Depot (ICD) and Pangaon Customs House. Following the pilot, the Chittagong Customs House adopted the system on July 3, collecting over Tk 13 crore in customs duties within just one day – a strong testament to the system’s effectiveness and ease of use.
The nationwide rollout continues on July 7, when all remaining customs offices, including the Dhaka Customs House, are scheduled to begin using the system.