Kaladan News

Date: Monday, August 16, 2004

Foreign Goods Prohibited to Enter Bangladesh from Burma-Bangladesh Border Except Burmese Goods:

Possibility of Tax Decrease:

Cox’s Bazar, August16: Customs hope that tax will be decreased from Burma-Bangladesh border trade during current fiscal year---July 01, 2004 to June 30, 2005--- for barring foreign goods to enter Bangladesh from Burma- Bangladesh border except Burmese goods, according to Abul Kalam Azad from Teknaf.

At the beginning of August 2004, the Bangladesh government concerned authority asked the customs of Teknaf areas not to allow foreign goods to enter Teknaf points except Burmese goods, he further added.

According to the custom officials of Teknaf, they are doubtful to earn half of the revenue target they estimated for the current fiscal year because of barring foreign goods except Burma.

Customs of Teknaf have taken an initiative targeting to earn Tk. Taka 51.9 million per month and Tk.620.8 million annually by the year 2004-2005 fiscal year. Bangladesh government earned Taka 600 million from Burma–Bangladesh border trade within last 14 months. In 2003 to 2004 fiscal year, in 12 months, the Teknaf customs earned Tk.58 million. In 2004- 2005 fiscal year, from July1 to July 31, the first month of the fiscal year, the customs earned Tk.50.633 million from border trade, the custom officials further added.

According to custom Super of Teknaf, they will earn Tk 100 million per month from border trade, if there is no problem in border trade and also will be benefited the neighboring country, Burma.

A trader of Teknaf border said, “Now, we have only get tax from Burmese produced goods in Teknaf border areas. But, we are barred from tax from some other countries’ goods such as--- Thailand, China and Japan. Its goods are not allowed to enter Teknaf border areas from Burma and only allowed to enter Bangladesh through Chittagong, the port city”.

Since 1995, the Bangladesh government has been trying to destroy Burma- Bangladesh border smuggling and to establish legal Burma-Bangladesh border trade. After the establishment of Burma Bangladesh border trade, traders and businessmen were suffered some difficulties and slowly its were removed. This was made because to exclude the smugglers of Teknaf and Chittagong areas, said a businessman.

The people of the Teknaf border areas are facing many difficulties for reducing in entering multi-countries’ goods, which attacks their earning sources said, Abdul Latif from Teknaf. ##

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