A new online platform has been introduced to streamline the payment of customs duties and taxes for importers, exporters, and clearing agents. The automated a-challan system enables users to deposit duties directly into the government treasury through digital means, ensuring faster and more efficient transactions.
Launched at the beginning of the new fiscal year by the Finance Division and the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the a-challan system has been integrated with the Customs’ Asycuda World platform and the Finance Division’s iBAS++ platform. This integration allows for real-time deposits via online banking, debit or credit cards, and mobile financial services such as bKash, Nagad, and Rocket.
In addition to digital payments, customs duties can also be paid offline at 11,700 branches across 61 banks. Unlike the previous RTGS-based system, which often delayed payments by several days, the new system facilitates instant deposits, leading to quicker clearance of goods.
The system was successfully piloted at ICD Kamalapur and Pangaon Customs Houses. On July 3, the Chittagong Customs House became the first to fully adopt the system, collecting over Tk 13 crore in duties in a single day. Starting from 7th July, all other customs houses, including Dhaka Customs House, will begin implementing the a-challan system.
