The Chattogram Customs House has auctioned about 47,500 kg (47.5 tons) of various types of imported dates online for the second time. These dates come in 10,258 cartons, of which 15,000 kg are Ajwa and Mejdul dates and 32,500 kg are Sugai, Safawi, Masruk, Sukari and Lubna dates.
According to customs sources, the dates were imported by SSA Corporation, an importer of Salam Building on Bridgeghat Road in Firingi Bazar in the city. The dates have already been auctioned twice in public and once in online auction, but the desired price was not received.
In the first online auction, the reserve price of the dates was set at Tk 3 crore 48 lakh 48 thousand 172. However, although three companies participated, only 60 percent of the bids were received. For this reason, the price for the second online auction has been reduced to 2 crore 75 lakh 36 thousand 169 taka.
Abdul Awal, Assistant Revenue Officer of Chittagong Customs House, said that the online auction started from December 30 and bids will be taken till 2 pm on January 11. The products will be displayed from January 1 to January 4, so that the bidders participating in the auction can examine the products.
According to customs rules, the importer has to take delivery within 30 days of the goods being unloaded from the ship. However, if no one takes the products, the customs can auction them within 15 days by giving a notice. In addition, products seized due to false declarations are also auctioned. But due to various complications, it is not possible to fully implement the auction rules within 45 days. As a result, many food products have rotted and been buried in the ground in the past, which has increased the financial loss and expenses for the government.
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has issued a standing order for the fast auction of perishable goods. However, the complexity of the customs auction is still a challenge. The government's main goal this time is to ensure that the dates auctioned online are sold quickly and reduce the risk of rotting.
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