Ctg customs auctioning 20 luxury vehicles

Chittagong Custom House – the largest revenue collection authority in Bangladesh – has organised an auction offering big lots of products next Sunday, including 20 luxury vehicles from brands such as Toyota Land Cruiser, Mercedes Benz and Volkswagen.

The auction process of 124 lots of goods will be held simultaneously in Chattogram and Dhaka.

Assistant Commissioner of the custom house Ali Reza Haider said although all these products were imported through Chittagong port at different times, the importers did not pay
their dues, or took delivery of their goods in time.

“Despite repeated pleas, the importers did not pay revenue as per regulations, so arrangements have been made to hold an auction,” he said, adding that there will be 20 vehicles – some of which are luxury cars – among the products being auctioned off on
Sunday.

According to the auction catalog, the cars on sale include a white Toyota Land Cruiser worth Tk 6,19,5,072, a Volkswagen from Germany worth Tk 1,02,45,278, a black Mercedes Benz from Germany worth Tk 71,49,119, an Indian D-3S model worth Tk 51,76,041, a white Japanese Prime Mover worth Tk 31,25,435, a yellow Prime Mover worth Tk 29,82,919, a Japanese Toyota microbus worth Tk 23,78,762, and a white NISSAN microbus worth Tk 21,33, 856.

Forty CNG vehicles of Piaggio APE City model from India are also being auctioned off.

Along with cars, the other lots include a large number of fabrics, textile chemicals, fruits, juices, cosmetics, sulfuric acid, vinegar, hand sanitizers, bicycle parts, dates, spectacle frames, car parts and bicycle parts.

Providing more details, Ali Reza said the selling of auction tender forms and catalogs have started from Sunday, and tenders will have to be submitted in the tender box at the Revenue Officer (Administration) of Chittagong Custom House and Chittagong Deputy Commissioner’s Office, Mongla Custom House, Dhaka (South) Customs, and Excise and VAT Commissionerate Office between 9am-2pm from October 14 to October 17.

As these imported goods were not delivered for a long time, the Chittagong port warehouses remain occupied. These products are being auctioned off in compliance with all rules to avoid congestion at the port, Reza added.

Current regulations stipulate that if the imported goods are not unloaded within 30 days, the port authorities inform the customs in writing. The customs authorities then give the importer 15 days to unload the goods.

If the imported goods are not released within this deadline, the customs authorities will be able to sell those at an auction. In addition, customs also seize illegally or unannounced imported goods at different times. A portion of these products are sold at auctions too.

Prices are fixed on the present condition of each product in inventory before it is put up for auction, in the presence of officials of the port, customs and departments concerned.

According to customs sources, at least 60 per cent of the estimated value of auctioned products is usually gained when those are sold to the bidders.