TDS Desk:

Traders will now avail the service of obtaining different certificates and documents related to export and import businesses of their products and goods by using a single automated platform – Bangladesh Single Window (BSW) – system of the National Board of Revenue (NBR).

The new system will also contribute to business expansion by boosting local and foreign investors’ confidence.

At the same time, the NBR has asked all importers and exporters not to accept any certificate, licence and permit (CLP) manually. In this regard, the NBR has issued a circular asking all traders to collect their CLP by submitting applications through the online platform, a senior NBR official.

Traders will be able to get all types of certifications, licences, and permits related to import and export from the respective agencies using the BSW system, the official also said.

The platform will ensure transparency and accountability without human interaction and reduce the time and expenditure for export and import for businesses, according to the NBR circular.

The circular also stated that traders must register with the BSW system using their Business Identification Number (BIN) before collecting CLP.

“After 31 January 2025, no manual CLP will be accepted for export-import businesses in the country. All CLP must be collected through BSW from the time frame,” the circular added.

In total, 19 agencies have been included to provide CLP to the traders through the single online platform, but currently only seven are operational. The remaining 12 agencies will start their operation through the BSW from 28 February, the senior official also said.

The seven agencies currently functional in the BSW are: Department of Environment, Directorate General of Drug Administration,

Export Promotion Bureau, Department of Explosives, Bangladesh National Authority for Chemical Weapons Convention, Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) and Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA).

The 12 remaining agencies to be included in the system on 28 February are: Chief Controller of Imports and Exports, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Department of Fisheries, and Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution, Plant Quarantine Wing of Department of Agriculture, Department of Livestock, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority, and Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh.

In 2017, the NBR took the BSW project which is an electronic system that allows traders to submit import, export, and transit information to multiple government agencies through a single gateway, bringing seven customs agencies under one system to ease the import and export processes for businesses.

The project aims to streamline trade operations by ultimately combining the activities of 19 agencies related to customs under one system, NBR officials said, adding that businesses will no longer need to visit the offices in person to get the necessary documents.

According to the circular, an importer-exporter can obtain all the certificates, licences and permits and submit the necessary information on a single online platform for clearance of goods.