Despite last year's unprecedented political turmoil in the country ahead of the 10th parliamentary elections, the rise in revenue collections from the land ports in the current fiscal is definitely a good news. But a bad news is also suppressing over this good news. The country's land ports could not come out from the circle of mismanagement, inefficiency and corruption.
In 2005, the government handed over the operation of five out of the then 13 land ports to private sector under Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis for a period of 25 years to curb corruption of the government management and to facilitate efficient and smooth handling of goods. But these ports –– now being operated under the private sector –– are yet to be free from graft.
There are allegations against the private operators that they commit gross deception in providing the information given to the government's revenue authority regarding the volume of cross-border trading of goods.
Besides, transportation of imported goods is often delayed due to the lack of infrastructural development of the land ports. Unfortunately the penalties are mounted on the users.
Though currently there are as many as 21 land ports in the country, only nine of them are on operations. Besides, there are 12 customs stations.
The total revenue collections from the nine land ports in the first nine months (July-March) of the current 2013-14 financial year stood at Tk 36.97 crore which is Tk 9.16 crore more than the last year's revenue collection (Tk 27.81 crore) over the same period.
But this increase cannot be marked as satisfactory if the volumes of goods imported from and exported to India, Nepal and Bhutan are compared. Especially the sluggish revenue collection from the country's two largest land ports –– Benapole and Akhaura –– is alarming. To boost the revenue collections from these land ports, it is essential to ensure their efficiency. Moreover, there is no alternative to taking a strict stance against corruption.
But it is a two-way problem. If the competence of the ports is not ensured, their earnings cannot be increased. And if the earnings do not rise, it is difficult to ensure the infrastructural development of the ports.
Currently goods are traded through different customs stations apart from land ports. But the expenditures of these customs stations are higher than their earnings. In this regard, the revenue collections will obviously rise if the government makes it mandatory to use land ports for importing and exporting of goods.
Once the Banglabandha land port was introduced across the Phulbari-Banglabandha border for importing goods from and exporting to landlocked country Nepal through India. But the scope could not be utilised due to non-cooperation and indifference of neighbouring India.
The concept of regional transit will be effective when all the concerned nations get its facilities.