Trade growth thru’ Banglabandha 'depends on basic supports'
Reported by: By AKM Sajjadur Rahman, UNB Correspondent
Reported on: September 14, 2012 11:40 AM
Reported in: National
Reported on: September 14, 2012 11:40 AM
Reported in: National
Panchagarh, Sept 14 (UNB) - Banglabandha land port could not be turned into a full-fledged land port even after 15 years of its inception due to some physical and policy barriers, including the absence of immigration facility.
“Banglabandha couldn’t yet be made operational as a full-fledged land port due to the absence of immigration facility, warehouse and notification from the National Board of Revenue (NBR),” said an official who preferred not to be named.
President of Exporters and Importers’ Association, Panchagarh Mehedi Hasan Khan said the export and import through this important land port are yet to reach the desired level as the NBR has not yet issued a statutory regulatory order (SRO) for the shipment of goods through it.
The land port was opened on September 1, 1997 to boost bilateral trade with landlocked Nepal. And trading with India through the land port began on January 22, 2011, but the trade volume with the two countries is still very low.
Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury and then Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee formally opened trading through the land port by allowing the entry of each other's trucks into their territories -- up to the warehouses -- in January this year.
Earlier, exporters and importers of Bangladesh, India and Nepal had to follow truck-to-truck loading and unloading system for transporting their goods across the border at the zero point, which was costlier and more time-consuming.
Another official said the issue of introducing immigration check-post at the land port has been awaiting approval from the Indian although the Bangladesh government at a recent meeting of joint trade forum in New Delhi has given its consent to t.
At present, pulses, wheat, chirta and husk are imported from Nepal and bolder stone from India through the land port while automotive battery, cotton, jute, mango juice, lubricant oil, readymade garments, plastic furniture, medicines and tissue paper are exported to India and Nepal.
According to the officials, revenues worth Tk 11.78 crore were earned through Banglabandha land port, and goods worth USD 1.82 crore were exported to Nepal and India in fiscal 2011-12 fiscal. In July of the current fiscal a Tk 1.20 crore revenue was earned and goods worth USD 14.70 lakh were exported.
Mehedi Hasan said an SRO is need from the tax administrator naming the goods to be traded through the port between Bangladesh and India, and Bangladesh and Nepal, he said.
The Land Port Authority of Bangladesh constructed warehouse, truck parking yard, road, office building, customs facilities, telephone exchange, and police barrack spending over Tk 2 crore in 2004, but most of the facilities still remain unutilised.
“We’ll see the benefit only when all the goods will be allowed for trading,” said Rezaul Karim Reza, president of clearing and forwarding agents at Banglabandha land port. “We’re still waiting for the NBR notification,” he added.
Banglabandha point is strategically important to enhance regional trade, as Siliguri is only 8 km away from the land port while Jalpaiguri of West Bengal only 45 kilometres away. Famous tourist spot Darjiling is only 90 km away from the border point. Besides Nepal, many parts of Indian northeastern states are closer to this port.
“Banglabandha couldn’t yet be made operational as a full-fledged land port due to the absence of immigration facility, warehouse and notification from the National Board of Revenue (NBR),” said an official who preferred not to be named.
President of Exporters and Importers’ Association, Panchagarh Mehedi Hasan Khan said the export and import through this important land port are yet to reach the desired level as the NBR has not yet issued a statutory regulatory order (SRO) for the shipment of goods through it.
The land port was opened on September 1, 1997 to boost bilateral trade with landlocked Nepal. And trading with India through the land port began on January 22, 2011, but the trade volume with the two countries is still very low.
Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury and then Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee formally opened trading through the land port by allowing the entry of each other's trucks into their territories -- up to the warehouses -- in January this year.
Earlier, exporters and importers of Bangladesh, India and Nepal had to follow truck-to-truck loading and unloading system for transporting their goods across the border at the zero point, which was costlier and more time-consuming.
Another official said the issue of introducing immigration check-post at the land port has been awaiting approval from the Indian although the Bangladesh government at a recent meeting of joint trade forum in New Delhi has given its consent to t.
At present, pulses, wheat, chirta and husk are imported from Nepal and bolder stone from India through the land port while automotive battery, cotton, jute, mango juice, lubricant oil, readymade garments, plastic furniture, medicines and tissue paper are exported to India and Nepal.
According to the officials, revenues worth Tk 11.78 crore were earned through Banglabandha land port, and goods worth USD 1.82 crore were exported to Nepal and India in fiscal 2011-12 fiscal. In July of the current fiscal a Tk 1.20 crore revenue was earned and goods worth USD 14.70 lakh were exported.
Mehedi Hasan said an SRO is need from the tax administrator naming the goods to be traded through the port between Bangladesh and India, and Bangladesh and Nepal, he said.
The Land Port Authority of Bangladesh constructed warehouse, truck parking yard, road, office building, customs facilities, telephone exchange, and police barrack spending over Tk 2 crore in 2004, but most of the facilities still remain unutilised.
“We’ll see the benefit only when all the goods will be allowed for trading,” said Rezaul Karim Reza, president of clearing and forwarding agents at Banglabandha land port. “We’re still waiting for the NBR notification,” he added.
Banglabandha point is strategically important to enhance regional trade, as Siliguri is only 8 km away from the land port while Jalpaiguri of West Bengal only 45 kilometres away. Famous tourist spot Darjiling is only 90 km away from the border point. Besides Nepal, many parts of Indian northeastern states are closer to this port.
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