Nikkei Asia, October 6 report, Bangladesh has implemented a digital customs clearance system and plans to achieve full paperless customs clearance by 2028. To improve customs clearance efficiency and combat tax evasion, Bangladesh has built a "Single Window System" (BSW), which was officially launched in July. According to the information, BSW is funded by the World Bank, costing 58.5 billion taka (585 million taka), and has integrated 19 trade-related agencies including the Drug Administration of Bangladesh (DGDA) and the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), enabling online processing of documents related to quality, health, and safety standards. Previously, the process of obtaining customs clearance documents from the Bangladesh Customs was complicated and took up to a month, while the average time for imported goods to be transported from the port to the factory was as long as 11 days, resulting in Bangladesh's foreign investment appeal far lagging behind major competitors such as India and Vietnam. After the operation of BSW, the efficiency of Bangladesh Customs clearance has significantly improved, with 90% of customs clearance certificates issued within one day, of which 83% can be issued within one hour. As of mid-September, BSW has issued 500,000 import cargo customs clearance documents. Analysts point out that BSW can also help Bangladesh alleviate the pressure of rising tariffs after leaving the "Least Developed Country (LDC)" category by reducing costs and customs clearance time. However, currently, the coverage of BSW ports is still insufficient, and relevant agencies are not fully connected, making it difficult to gain the trust of enterprises, and further optimization and improvement are needed. In the next phase, Bangladesh plans to connect 18 new government agencies to BSW by December 30, 2026, and continue to expand its coverage.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1845522809425920/
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