The project launching ceremony for "Digitalization of Border Procedures at Bhomra Land Port" was held at the Hotel Pan pacific Sonargaon in Dhaka on Monday.
The Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation (GATF) aims to promote trade facilitation reforms in developing and least-developed countries, as well as advance ratification and implementation of the World Trade Organization's Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), with the goal of fostering broad-based economic growth.
The Alliance is a public-private partnership involving the World Economic Forum, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Centre for International Private Enterprise, and GIZ. The governments of the United States, Canada, Germany, Denmark, the United Kingdom, and Australia fund the Alliance.
Swisscontact, Hardturmstrasse 123, 8005 Zurich, Switzerland, has been authorized by the Alliance to conduct exploratory work in Bangladesh towards structuring and delivering trade facilitation initiatives in collaboration with local stakeholders.
Swisscontact is collaborating with Bangladesh Land Port Authority (BLPA) to implement the Digitalization of Bhomra Land Port project.
State Minister of Shipping of Bangladesh Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury inaugurated the ceremony as the chief guest. Ministry of Shipping Secretary Mostofa Kamal was a special guest, read a press release.
Director of the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation (GATF) Philippe Isler delivered the keynote speech and the discussion was chaired by Bangladesh Land port Authority (BLPA) chairman Md Alamgir.
Mujibul Hasan, Country Director, Swisscontact Bangladesh, and Stephanie Dreifuss, Director Partners & Clients, Swisscontact Global, delivered the opening remarks. Ishrat Fatema, Swisscontact's Technical advisor, provided an insightful presentation on the project. D M Atiqur Rahman, Director (Admin) of BLPA and Project Director of this project, provided the concluding remarks and expressions of gratitude.
The programme featured a video documentary on the digitalization of Bhomra Land port.
The proposed project will be executed at the Bhomra land port in the Satkhira district (Southwest Bangladesh), which was designated a land port in 2002 but became operational in 2013. The entire port is currently operated manually, with a heavy reliance on manual systems and paper-based trade. This causes delays in the entry and exit of cargo trucks, as well as significant congestion at the port yard.
Digitalizing identified port procedures from the current manual system by developing and implementing an e-port management software to complete the export-import procedures at the Bhomra Land Port are the primary goals of the project. Bhomra land port web-based surveillance system installation Installing wireless CCTV equipment and software, and integrating it with the e-port management software, Introducing e-payment option to collect service fees from mobile app or website via bank transfer, mobile financial service (MFS), or e-wallet, Identifying and implementing a suitable antivirus system for the Bhomra land, Identifying Capacity development requirements, Developing training modules for BLPA personnel, Training all government and private stakeholders pertinent to port operations on the digital system, Engaging and sensitizing public and private actors regarding digital border procedures and gender concerns, Initiating a campaign of awareness for sensitization, Creating and preparing Publication materials for the dissemination of knowledge.
Mujibul Hasan, Country Director, Swisscontact Bangladesh, and Ms. Stephanie Dreifuss, Director Partners & Clients, Swisscontact Global, provided an overview of swisscontact's worldwide activities, including those in Bangladesh. They also emphasize the significance of this project's contributions to Bangladesh's international trade with its neighbors.
Philippe Isler provided an overview of the Alliance and its partnership with swisscontact and Bangladesh Land port (BLPA). He noted that the project will support micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMES), many of which are represented at the border by clearing agents. In 2022, the Alliance signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Economic Relations Division of the Ministry of Finance, laetr on signing the TAPP with the Ministry of Shipping which he described as a significant development.
Phillipe also highlighted the increased transparency and compliance with border procedures, enhanced traceability of commodities and trucks, and increased agency cooperation at the Bhomra Land port through this project.
Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury who oversees the operations of Bangladesh Land Port Authority (BLPA), has always advocated for the concept of digitalized land ports in Bangladesh. He stated that India is Bangladesh's second-largest trading partner worldwide, making the location of the Bhomra land port even more significant for both countries.
The Padma Bridge, which is the greatest infrastructure project in Bangladesh, is situated 220 kilometers from the Bhomra land port. The bridge provided direct access to other regions of the nation, including Bhomra Land Port.
Furthermore, the close proximity of the Bhomra land port to the Mongla Seaport makes it an import land port from a geopolitical standpoint, as landlocked nations such as Nepal and Bhutan have expressed interest in using the Mongla sea port. This indicates that imported and exported commodities to and from Nepal and Bhutan will transit the land ports prior to entering or departing the Mongla sea port.
Md Mostofa Kamal emphasized the potential of this initiative and its contribution to our national economy. He emphasized the training of port officials, the education of port users, and the maintenance of the initiative to ensure its sustainability.
The digitization procedure is also a top priority for BLPA. Md Alamgir discussed the significance of Bhomra Land port's geographical location and the positive influence of digitalization on the port's revenue growth.
He also mentioned that, on average, it takes nearly five hours for a cargo truck to complete all the border procedures during import, which substantially increases costs and time for importers (mostly SMEs). Digitalization will have a significant impact on reducing costs and time for businesses.
