BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said updating and simplifying business procedures in line with changing trade situation are important to retain competitiveness of the RMG industry. 

He urged the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to ease business procedures including customs and bonds to support the export-oriented garment industry in realizing its potential.

He made the call during a meeting with Hossain Ahmed, NBR Member (Customs Export, Bond and IT) at NBR office in Dhaka on April 21.

BGMEA Vice President Shahidullah Azim and Kazi Mustafizur Rahman, Commissioner, Customs Bond Commissionerate were also present at the meeting.

The BGMEA leaders requested NBR to remove various customs and bond- related difficulties, especially HS code related complexities being faced by the garment exporters. 

They urged NBR to take necessary steps for addressing the issues like adding new raw materials and other related materials with their harmonised system (HS) code in the bond licences.

They called for revising wastage rate in manufacturing woven garment items from yarns and fabrics and keeping opportunity to correct unintentional errors and typos on bill of exports or shipping bills. 

The BGMEA leaders also requested for identifying the frauds who are involved in illegally importing raw materials through forgery of the Business Identification Number (BIN) of export-oriented garment factories and bring them to punishment.  

The NBR member assured the BGMEA of taking measures to address the problems raised in the meeting.