For the first four months of the current fiscal year, Chittagong Customs House recorded a notable revenue loss of Taka 2,417 crore, falling short of its objective of Taka 26,640 crore. According to the most recent data, the customs administration collected Taka 24,223 crore between July and October of FY ’25.
Officials blamed this gap on ongoing issues like the currency crisis, which has hampered import operations for the last two years, and issues with letters of credit (LCs), which have affected the operational effectiveness of importers. The country’s political turmoil, especially the anti-discrimination student movement that has been interfering with port operations since July and the August political changes, further added to the unstable economic climate.
Chattogram Customs House’s revenue increased year over year even though it didn’t meet its revenue goals. Revenue collection for FY ’25 was Taka 1,662 crore higher than the Taka 22,561 crore collected during the same period in FY ’24.
Additionally, import quantities decreased, at 3.28 crore tonnes imported from July to October of this year as opposed to 3.61 crore tonnes during the same period in 2023. Remarkably, the Customs House handled 2.26 lakh consignments, up from 1.95 lakh the previous year, representing a rise in the volume of import shipments processed.
Spokesman and Chattogram Customs House deputy commissioner Mohammad Saidul Islam was upbeat, saying that as the nation works through its current political and economic challenges, import volumes and income should increase. He emphasised that revenue collection has already exceeded the numbers from the last fiscal year.
A total revenue collection goal of Taka 83,432 crore has been set by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) for FY ’25. In contrast, revenue increased by 9.42% in FY ’24, reaching Taka 68,563 crore, compared to Taka 62,658 crore in FY ’23.
Additionally, customs authorities noted that fraudulent activities, like making false claims, still make it difficult to collect taxes. In June 2020, the NBR imposed harsher sanctions in response to these activities, requiring fines equal to at least twice the revenue that was evaded. Since then, there has been a discernible decrease in fraud as a result of customs’ increased efforts to prevent it.
