Manpower crunch disrupts import-export activities

Just over a month after beginning full-fledged operations, the newly launched Customs House ICD, Chattogram, is struggling with a severe manpower shortage, a lack of experienced officials and structural weaknesses, causing delays in cargo clearance and file processing.

The resulting bottlenecks are forcing importers and exporters to spend more time and money, raising concerns over the smooth flow of trade through Chattogram.

The specialised facility was launched to speed up customs clearance and ease pressure on the old Customs House.

Under directives from the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the new customs house has been assigned responsibility for assessing 100% of export goods handled through Chattogram Port and around 65 types of import goods cleared through the port’s 19 private inland container depots (ICDs), commonly known as off-docks. It is also responsible for assessing all import and export cargo handled through Shah Amanat International Airport.

According to the approved organogram, the Customs House ICD has  a sanctioned strength of 664 officersand employees.

But only 135 people are currently working there, meaning around 80% of the sanctioned posts are vacant.

The shortage is particularly acute in the posts of assistant revenue officers (AROs) and revenue officers (ROs), who are directly involved in cargo examination, valuation and assessment.

There are only around 35 AROs, nearly 20 of whom are assigned to work in three shifts at Shah Amanat International Airport.

As a result, the ICD and private off-docks often have to operate with an inadequate number of officials to handle customs assessment and cargo release.

A visit to the rented office of the Customs House ICD at the BSTI building near Agrabad Jamboree Park found clearing and forwarding (C&F) agents and traders waiting for services, while piles of files and documents had accumulated on officials’ desks.

Many were waiting for cargo release and disposal of their files.

Traders and C&F representatives expressed frustration over the delays, while customs officials were seen working under heavy pressure to handle the workload.

C&F employees said work that could previously be completed within a few hours at the old customs house now often takes two to three days under the new office code.

They also blamed the manpower shortage and server-related complications for the delays.

Mohammad Obaidul Haque Alamgir, proprietor of freight forwarding and C&F agency Gulf BD Enterprise, told the Daily Sun that the initiative was a good one but had become a source of frustration for businesses because of the shortage of manpower and experienced officials.

“Normally, a job that should take an hour to half a day is taking our employees the whole day at the new customs house,” he said.

“As a result, each file is taking an additional one to two days to process. This is also causing financial losses,” Alamgir said.

He said delays in assessment and cargo release meant imported goods remained longer at off-docks, increasing storage, demurrage and other costs for importers.

The scale of the operation also highlights the potential impact of the bottlenecks.

According to NBR data, goods worth Tk9,455.09 crore were exported through the new customs station between June and August. A total of 374,954 bills of export (B/E) were processed during the three-month period.

In August alone, the customs house collected Tk8,658.16 crore in revenue from conventional and bonded imports.

NBR statistics show that 467,262 tonnes of goods were cleared in August against 3,227 bills of entry under “Import Type-4”, or the general customs duty category.

The assessment value of these goods was Tk6,324.25 crore, generating Tk5,225.17 crore in revenue.

Under “Import Type-7”, covering bonded facilities, 103,645 tonnes of goods were imported through 1,291 consignments. Their customs value stood at Tk1,324.56 crore, while revenue collected from the category amounted to Tk3,432.99 crore.

Officials working at the facility said a large number of bills of entry and shipping bills were being submitted every day.

The limited number of officers have to scrutinise the documents, determine values and complete customs assessments. Many are working beyond regular office hours to cope with the workload.

Chattogram Customs Agents Association President SM Saiful Alam said the Customs House ICD had become a source of inconvenience because of the shortage of manpower.

“Since the process is taking longer, businesses are facing higher operating costs. If the situation continues, the government may also fail to achieve its expected revenue targets,” he said.

“We are ready to provide all kinds of cooperation to the government. But adequate manpower must be appointed here on an urgent basis.”

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Chattogram Regional Chapter Vice President Rakibul Alam Chowdhury said prolonged bottlenecks in customs operations could have consequences beyond individual businesses or off-docks.

“The impact could eventually spread across the national supply chain,” he said.

Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Mohammed Amirul Haque said the problem is not limited to manpower.

“There is also a major shortage of skilled personnel and modern technology. Even countries like Pakistan have recently introduced a fully paperless and faceless technology-based customs assessment system, while we are still stuck with a traditional ARO-dependent system,” he said.

“The problem lies in our overall recruitment and operational process. To reduce corruption in import-export activities and eliminate file backlogs, technology-based infrastructure and skilled manpower must be deployed quickly,” Haque said.

Customs House ICD, Chattogram Additional Commissioner Mohammad Mahbub Hasan acknowledged the manpower shortage.

“We do not have many of the required personnel. Officials from Chattogram Customs House are being assigned to additional duties to keep the operations running. We have already informed the NBR about the matter through a letter,” he said.

Hasan said the NBR had already started providing additional officers in response to the letter.

“We hope the crisis will be resolved very soon,” he added.