Ease shipping bill error correction: BGMEA to NBR

Readymade garments (RMG) exporters have reached out to the National Bureau of Revenue (NBR) seeking the opportunity to correct unintentional errors and typos on bill of exports or shipping bills. 

Such minor unintended mistakes often lead to major trouble including difficulty getting export proceeds and ordeal during year-end audit, leaders of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BGMEA) told NBR officials on Thursday.

During a meeting at the capital's Segunbagicha, exporters said, C&F agents or commercial officers often make typos while filling up shipping bills.

Exporters are often forced to lose revenue as erroneous shipping bills cause them to miss out on the Generalised System of Preference (GSP). In these cases, buyers adjust the extra payment on releasing products from exporters. Besides, exporters fail to release export proceeds on time.  

Pointing out that the existing Customs Act includes provision to correct such typos, exporters called on the revenue authority to issue a directive in this regard.

Customs department officials, however, said that once the shipment is done there is no scope to make any corrections.

Mohammad Hatem, executive president of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturer & Exporters Association (BKMEA) told The Business Standard that the government does not have to sustain any revenue losses because of erroneous shipping bills.  

Exporters also discussed issues relating to tax and bonds during the meeting.

A NBR official (customs department), who was present at the meeting told The Business Standard that the NBR has formed a working committee, including representatives of the RMG sector, to solve the issues.

"The panel will discuss and make their recommendations to the NBR and the issues will be resolved based on their feedback," added the official.