The Bhomra Land Port in Satkhira failed to meet its revenue collection target for FY 2020-21 because of sluggish export-import activities amid the pandemic. 

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) set a revenue collection target of Tk1121.36 crore for the current financial year but till May 2021, the revenue collection was Tk727.7 crore, having a deficit of Tk393.66 crore. 

Maksudur Rahman, the proprietor of M and S Traders, an importer at the Bhomra port, said the port was closed on 5 March 2020 under government direction after the Covid-19 outbreak started in Bangladesh and after a three-month shutdown, the import and export activities resumed on 19 June. 

But, the normal pace of import and export activities at the port have not returned even today, Rahman added.

Before the pandemic, at least 350 cargo trucks entered Bangladesh every day and some 100 trucks used to leave for India. But presently, some 275-300 freight trucks are coming from India every day and around 40-45 trucks are going to India. 

"When the Bhomra port was established in 1996, the revenue target was Tk1 crore but now the target is set at more than a thousand crore. The port can import at least 75 products but generally, only 25 – 30 products are imported," said Arafat Hossain, president of the Bhomra C and F Association.

About the decreasing trade at the port, Hossain said that traders are choosing Benapole and Sonamasjid ports to import raw materials and fruits these days which was not possible before. And, the pandemic also has badly affected the activities of the port, he added. 

Amir Mamun, assistant commissioner (Customs), Bhomra Land Port, said the three months the port was closed made it lose around Tk260 crore in revenue collection. The second wave also contributed to the decreased trading activities at the port.

But the revenue collection increased by 26% in the 11 months of the current financial year compared to the last financial year, he added. 

It is to be noted that the National Board of Revenue set the revenue target for the FY 2019 – 20 at Tk1186.38 crore but the collection stood at Tk583.40 crore with a deficit of Tk602.98 crore.