Ctg Customs owes Tk141cr to port authority from auction proceeds over three decades

The Chattogram Customs House owes Tk141.46 crore to the Chattogram Port Authority as unpaid shares from auction proceeds collected over the past 30 years. 

Despite more than 50 letters sent by the port authority requesting payment, the customs has yet to settle the outstanding amount.

According to regulations, if goods or containers remain unclaimed by importers for more than 30 days after arriving at Chattogram Port, they are handed over to customs for auction. All auction proceeds are deposited with customs. 

A notification issued on 16 August 1994, by the collector of customs, Chattogram Custom House, entitles the port to 20% of revenue from full container load consignments and 15% from less container load consignments, to be paid to the port authority within 10 days of the auction.

However, for nearly 30 years, the port authority has not received its rightful share. The port authority has consistently submitted accounts detailing the dues owed by customs. Although customs has made some payments, the outstanding balance remains at Tk141.46 crore.

A recent report by the port authority shows that Tk14.23 crore was due by 1999. From 2000 onward, the unpaid auction share kept increasing, with customs making just three payments in the last 24 years, up until February 2024. 

The first payment of Tk23.88 crore came in December 2006, followed by Tk11.11 crore in March 2014, and a final payment of Tk65.52 lakh in February 2024. By September 2024, the total dues had risen to Tk141.46 crore.

The port authority highlighted a key meeting on 6 January 2013, attended by senior officials from the Internal Resources Division, National Board of Revenue (NBR), and Ministry of Shipping. During the meeting, it was agreed that customs would settle the outstanding dues in a prescribed format, but no further action has been taken.

Mohammad Shah Jahan, senior finance officer of the port authority, told The Business Standard, "We have been pressing for the payment of the outstanding amount for a long time, raising the issue in meetings and seminars. 

"However, despite all efforts, customs has not taken the necessary steps to resolve the issue. The NBR and the Ministry of Shipping are now working with the port authority to speed up the recovery of the overdue payments."

Repeated attempts to reach Mohammad Saidul Islam, deputy commissioner and spokesperson of Chattogram Customs House, for comment were unsuccessful. 

However, Mushfiqur Rahman, additional commissioner of Chattogram Customs House, confirmed that starting in March 2024, shares from auction proceeds are being paid to the port authority after every auction. 

"The old dues are almost impossible to pay. During a meeting last month, the chairman of the NBR requested the port authority not to press further for the previous dues," he added.