CHATTOGRAM, July 3, 2025 (BSS) - The largest revenue collection centre in the country, Chattogram Custom House (CCH), saw a 9.71 percent year-on-year increase in revenue, amounting to Tk 75,432 crore in the just-concluded 2024-25 fiscal year.

This marked a significant rise from the previous fiscal year's final revenue of Tk 68,755 crore in 2023-24.

This achievement represents the highest revenue ever collected by the customs house at the Chattogram port, the country's biggest port, handling roughly 90 percent of total annual trade.

The increased collection can be attributed to enhanced monitoring efforts to prevent misconduct and the revision of the Customs Act-1969 in June 2020, which empowered officials to impose minimum penalties for inaccurate declarations of imported items, according to sources at the Chattogram Custom House.

"Despite the CCH's revenue target being set at Tk 80,402 crore, officials noted that the department collects duties and fines on goods imported and exported through the country's main seaports, along with revenue from other wings of the NBR."

Additionally, customs played a crucial role in dealing with 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 outgoing fiscal year began with various challenges for the country's economy, 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, said the sources.

In the fiscal year 2024-25, Chattogram Sea Port achieved a new record in container handling, with 32,960,067 TEUs (20 feet in length) of containers being handled at the Chattogram Port.

SM Saiful Alam, president of the Chattogram C&F Agents Association, told BSS that various crises were faced throughout the fiscal year, and ensuring political stability along with a business- and investment-friendly environment could further boost revenue collection.

Newly appointed Custom House Commissioner Mohammad Sofiuddin credited the higher revenue generation to the prevention of false declarations and the implementation of good governance.