Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) on Monday called on the government to streamline and accelerate customs and bond-related procedures to help sustain the capacity of the country’s largest foreign currency earner.

A BGMEA delegation, led by its director Faisal Samad, met Mohammad Hasmat Ali, Commissioner of the Customs Bond Commissionerate, Dhaka (South), at his office in the capital.

BGMEA directors Sumaiya Islam and Kazi Mizanur Rahman were also present, according to a statement.

During the meeting, the BGMEA leaders requested the bond commissionerate to expedite the settlement of back-to-back letters of credit (L/Cs) that lacked UD (utilisation declaration) certification but were amended by June 2022.

They also urged simplifying annual audit procedures for garment exporters, maintaining bond registration via CBMS software, and easing the process for incorporating HS codes into bond licences.

The association also sought broader policy support for the industry, including facilitating the import of raw materials on a free-of-cost (FOC) basis and preventing harassment of bonded garment factories that outsource services such as washing, printing, dyeing, and embroidery to non-bonded units in relation to VAT regulations.

BGMEA leaders demanded that the supply of goods and services from bonded ‘deemed’ exporting companies to non-bonded direct exporters remain free from complications and called for a simplification of subcontracting procedures.

The delegation emphasised the need for urgent reforms, proposing the establishment of a joint working committee comprising representatives from all stakeholders, including all Customs Houses, Bond Commissionerates, the National Board of Revenue, and the Customs Intelligence Department, to address both short-term and long-term challenges facing the garment industry.