ZCZC
BSS-24
NBR-ATA-EXPORT
NBR Chairman for implementing ATA Carnet System to boost up export
DHAKA, March 19, 2019 (BSS) – National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman M
Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan today said it is very important for Bangladesh to
sign the Istanbul Convention on ATA Carnet with a view to facilitate
International Trade.
“To make best utilization of those forums, agreements and treaties, it is
very important for Bangladesh to introduce ATA Carnet System. This system
will open a new door for the international buyers and traders to import
temporarily samples for exhibitions, trade fair and many other purposes in an
easy and a trade friendly way without paying duties and taxes,” he said.
The NBR chairman was speaking as the chief guest at a day-long Workshop on
ATA Carnet System, organized jointly by International Chamber of Commerce-
Bangladesh (ICCB) and NBR at a city hotel, said a press release.
Mosharraf Hossain mentioned that Bangladesh is an active partner of various
regional forums like Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical
and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN)
and South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC).
There are numbers of agreements and treaties where Bangladesh is a
signatory like SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA), Asia-Pacific
Trade Agreement (APTA), River protocol with India and Bhutan, Transit
Agreement with India, Nepal and Bhutan, he added.
He suggested ICC Bangladesh to keep close contact with NBR for pursuing
govt. to sign the latest Istanbul Convention on ATA Carnet.
ICC Bangladesh President Mahbubur Rahman delivered welcome speech at the
workshop while adviser to the former caretaker government and former NBR
chairman Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury and Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(DCCI) President Osama Taseer, among others, were present.
Mahbubur Rahman said it is utmost important for Bangladesh to introduce
ATA Carnet System for improving ease of doing business ranking.
“Bangladesh economy has kept up an impressive annual average growth rate of
more than decade and in fiscal 2017-18, Bangladesh’s GDP growth rate was
7.86. Trade volume is also increasing at mentionable rate,” he added.
To promote trade and investment and to achieve Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs), he said, it is essential to integrate with the trade
promotional instrument like ATA Carnet and other global facilitates without
any further delay.
Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury said Bangladesh is going to be a middle income
country. In that perspective introducing ATA Carnet in Bangladesh is
essential, he added.
Osama Taseer said in the ongoing context of global business process, it is
imperative for Bangladesh to integrate with its trade regime as a trade
facilitation instruments particularly WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement and
the ATA Carnet System.
Around 50 participants from different ministries or departments of
government representatives from different business associations and National
Board of Revenue attended the workshop.
BSS/PR/KUC/FI/ 1855 hrs