Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said the government is making frantic efforts to improve trade facilitation through modernising and simplifying the revenue collection process to mobilise more domestic resources. 

“The government of Sheikh Hasina is working relentlessly to collect more revenues through modernisation and simplification of the process and also to ensure trade facilitation,” he remarked on Thursday.

The finance minister said this while giving a video message at a seminar on World Customs Day held at a city hotel organised by the National Board of Revenue (NBR).

International Customs Day was observed in the country on Thursday as elsewhere in the world with the theme "Nurturing the next generation: promoting a culture of knowledge-sharing and professional pride in Customs."

Kamal expected that the customs department under the National Board of Revenue (NBR) would be an important tool to turn the country into "Smart Bangladesh".

"Bangladesh Customs will help to turn Bangladesh into a smart developed country by 2041 under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina," the finance minister said.

Presided over by NBR Chairman Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) President Md Jashim Uddin also spoke on the occasion as the special guest.

                NBR member (VAT policy) Zakia Sultana and CEO of HSBC Bangladesh Md Mahbub ur Rahman also spoke on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, the NBR chairman said that in line with the government's vision for turning Bangladesh into a smart nation, the NBR wants to build "smart customs" and this is also a priority of the revenue board.

He said that work on the National Single Window (NSW) is still going on and it is the target of the NBR to deliver customs services to the businesses in less time with less cost.

Muneem expressed his strong resolve to turn Bangladesh's customs department into "paperless customs".

Highlighting some of the NBR's forward-looking initiatives, he said that the NBR wants to train more customs department officials to enhance their skills and also to leave behind a business-friendly customs system for the next generation.

The NBR chairman opined that it is very much necessary to bring other institutions related to the National Single Window (NSW) under automation to ensure full-fledged modernization in customs management.

Stating that the NBR realises around 85 per cent of the government's total revenue collection, he said, "The cost of revenue collection by the NBR is still low compared to other countries of the world as it is 0.21 per cent which is 0.6 per cent in India, 0.71 per cent in Singapore, and 1 per cent in Germany and Malaysia."

"This doesn't mean that we lack in our efforts. We realise more revenues through utilising less resources," he added.

Lauding the NBR for its increased use of technology, FBCCI President Md Jashim Uddin said that the revenue board needs to use technology more comprehensively.

He cited, "The size of the country's economy has reached $465 billion which was only $90 billion back in 2008 thanks to the widespread successes and initiatives of the NBR."

"Now the time has come to make the revenue board more transparent. We want to see 'Smart NBR' in our 'Smart Bangladesh'," he added.

 The FBCCI chief said, "In order to ensure smooth LDC graduation by 2026, attain the SDGs by 2030 and be a smart and developed country by 2041, there is a need to mobilise more resources, export diversification, industrialisation and improvement in the ease of doing business index."

 He suggested that the revenue board should speed up the process for setting up Electronic Fiscal Devices (EFDs) to discourage uneven competition among businesses, diversify the exportable items and markets, give protection to the local industries, promote the "Made in Bangladesh" initiative and the backward linkage industry.

 Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO) Kunio Mikuriya gave a video message at the seminar.

 The NBR chairman along with the FBCCI president and other NBR members distributed WCO certificates of merit to the officials of NBR and other institutions for their performances in the respective fields.

 Besides, some nine authorised economic operators were recognised at the event.