The National Board of Revenue (NBR) allowed import of all types of goods through the Bhomra Land Port of Satkhira, except powdered milk, in a bid to facilitate trade between Bangladesh and India.
The customs wing has issued a notification in this regard to make the land port vibrant and facilitate trade. Imports will be allowed through the Bhomra-Ghozadanga road, while exports using the port remained unchanged.
Earlier, all export goods and some selective import goods such as rice, lentil, stone, green chili, onion, garlic, ginger, chassis of cars, cotton, yarn, livestock, fish, sugar, spices, and limestone were allowed to enter though the port among others.
As per the Customs Acts, imports and exports of goods through any land, river or air port is prohibited without having specific gazette notification of NBR.
Syed Atiqur Rahman, the Customs, Excise and VAT Commissionerate of Khulna said the Bhomra port would be able to work full-fledged with the installation of some scanners, developing shades, warehouses, and yards among others.
Basically, stones, green chili, onion, chili and ginger come from India through the port, he added.
Bhomra port is near Kolkata that may help to reduce time and cost of import of goods.
A feasibility study report of South Asia Sub regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) said economic activity may be increased through development of infrastructure of Bhomra, along with Sheola, Thegamukh, under the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal (BBIN) initiative for regional connectivity.
Some firms in India and China, presented the study report jointly, placed at a National Public Consultation Workshop in Bangladesh on August, 2016.
Infrastructure for the land ports would boost economic activity and benefit people in the region, said the report.
However, it said that infrastructure development will not have any adverse environmental impact.
Swissconnect Bangladesh, a non-profit development organisation based in Switzerland, has an ongoing effort to modernise national land border trade procedures, supported by the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation (GATF) and in collaboration with Bangladesh Land Port Authority (BLPA).
It is developing an e-Port management system at the Bhomra Land Port, aiming to streamline land border trade processes and significantly reduce traders’ waiting times, making a substantial positive impact on the operational conditions for border agencies.
It is also developing and deploying an e-port management system, including appropriate IT infrastructure to support the system.