Chattogram: The largest revenue collection centre in the country, Chattogram Custom House (CCH), achieved a remarkable milestone by collecting Tk 75,432 crore in revenue during the 2024-25 fiscal year, marking a 9.71 percent increase from the previous year.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, this significant rise in revenue collection, up from Tk 68,755 crore in the 2023-24 fiscal year, represents the highest amount ever collected by the customs house at Chattogram port. The port is the country's largest, handling approximately 90 percent of total annual trade.
Enhanced monitoring efforts and a revision of the Customs Act-1969 in June 2020, which empowered officials to impose minimum penalties for inaccurate declarations of imported items, contributed to the increased revenue, as per sources at the Chattogram Custom House.
Despite not meeting the revenue target of Tk 80,402 crore, officials highlighted the department's role in collecting duties and fines on goods imported and exported through the country's main seaports, along with revenue from other wings of the National Board of Revenue (NBR).
Customs played a key role in tackling smuggling, preventing customs evasion through false declarations, ensuring public health, facilitating trade, promoting industrialization, enhancing energy security, maintaining the supply chain of daily necessities, supporting employment, and ensuring compliance with domestic and international laws.
The fiscal year 2024-25 posed several economic challenges, including the July uprising, a week-long internet shutdown, a dollar crisis, severe floods in Feni, two Eid holidays, natural disasters, a strike by freight drivers, a pen break at customs, and a complete shutdown of the NBR. Despite these obstacles, the growth compared to the previous year remains satisfactory, sources noted.
Chattogram Sea Port also set a new record in container handling during the fiscal year, with 32,960,067 TEUs (20 feet in length) of containers processed.
SM Saiful Alam, president of the Chattogram C and F Agents Association, stated that overcoming various crises and ensuring political stability along with a business- and investment-friendly environment could further enhance revenue collection.
Newly appointed Custom House Commissioner Mohammad Sofiuddin attributed the higher revenue generation to the prevention of false declarations and the implementation of good governance.