It takes weeks to months for imported products at Chattogram port to be sent to capital Dhaka for testing, delaying delivery, raising the cost of business and disrupting production, he said.

FBCCI vice president Mohammad Habib Ullah Dawn said importers have to pay demurrage as the products remain undelivered in the name of testing.

The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) recently called for establishing testing labs at ports to ensure quicker delivery of imported goods and products as well as uninterrupted production. The demand was made by FBCCI president Mohammad Jashim Uddin at the second meeting of its standing committee on port and shipping.

Standing committee members alleged that customs officials are eager to penalise importers on unwilful HS Code mistakes as they receive 15 per cent incentives on the penalty. Hence, they called for the withdrawal of the incentives to end such harassment, according to Bangladeshi media reports.

They also suggested bringing the entire system online to make HS code entry of products easy and accurate.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)