Enhancing Public Availability of Customs Information
In the Islamic Countries
91
supported the need for putting in place a strong institutional and administrative arrangement
to ensure timely and reliable dissemination of customs information to the relevant stakeholders.
Presently, the Customs wing of the NBR is the major source of Customs information for
stakeholders. The Ministry of Commerce is also working to provide a one-stop point for the
country’s trade related rules, regulations, procedures, and relevant information for all
interested stakeholders through the Bangladesh Trade Portal on behalf of all government
departments and agencies involved in regulating import-export procedures. Additionally, the
Office of the Chief Controller of Imports & Exports (CCIE) and the Export Promotion Bureau
(EPB) of Bangladesh provide specific rules, regulations, and information related to import and
export procedures.
The Bangladesh Standards & Testing Institute (BSTI) provides important information related to
the quality requirements for import and export. The Bangladesh Land Port Authority (BLPA)
and also disseminate important border related information relevant
to export and import procedures. The Plant Quarantine Wing, Department of Agriculture
Extension, the Livestock Wing, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, and the Fisheries Wing,
Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock are involved in dissemination of specific rules, regulations,
and procedures related to import and export of agricultural and fish products. All these agencies
are taking initiatives from their own perspective to disseminate trade and border related
information to stakeholders. However, there is no effective coordination among them on
information dissemination. As the figure below shows, many agencies are involved in trade
policy in Bangladesh, so coordination among them is a major issue for the government.
Figure 45: Main actors involved in trade policy formulation and implementation in
Bangladesh.
Source: Author.