Worry overshadows Asycuda replacement move

A government move to phase out from the tested customs digital-platform Asycuda to adopt an advanced system has raised more concerns than corroboration from stakeholders in foreign trade and national revenue.

Customs authority, economists and businesses foresee a possible setback in import-export activities if such experiments done on a "proven successful system".

Customs officials find the move "suicidal" for the government as the country is still highly dependent on revenue at import stage.

Asycuda or Automated System of Customs Data is a system developed by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in 1993 for Bangladesh's customs-data hub that has interconnectivity with Bangladesh Bank, the Export Promotion Bureau and other major public and private entities along the domestic information superhighway.

National Board of Revenue officials have said Chief Adviser's Special Assistant Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, also in charge of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, instructed the NBR to consider phasing out from the system reducing dependence on vendors or software.

The direction from the reformative interim government came following a slowdown in the system for two weeks in July 2025 after the passage of the national budget for fiscal year 2025-26.

According to customs officials, the system has been slowed down to change the tax-duty rates attuned to the Finance Ordinance 2025 that stipulates the budgetary measures.

Already, two meetings have been held--one chaired by Mr Taiyeb and another by NBR's customs member Kazi Mustafizur Rahman (recently retired), discussing whether the government can adopt a new digital platform instead of Asycuda.

Talking to The Financial Express Monday, Mr Mustafiz acknowledged the move from the CA office.

"I strongly opposed the instruction seeing it a disaster."

He raised red flag at the meeting explaining possible complexities involving such experimentations involving revenue mobilisation for the sate exchequer.

Asycuda world is a proven successful system that is working smoothly over the years, he said, acknowledging some disruptions earlier which, however, have been resolved through system upgrading.

"Such major digital platform must be developed through licensing software to check cyber-attacks and hacking into export-import data," Mr Rahman said.

Asycuda system is an advanced one which was upgraded to Asycuda ++ and later in Asycuda world in 2021.

Exporters have long demanded making the system faster to cope with the rising volumes of export trade.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Mahmud Hassan Khan Babu, however, finds no need to transition from Asycuda system.

"The system could be made faster, instead of replacing with new one," he added.

Trade economist Dr Masrur Reaz, founder-chairman of Policy Exchange Bangladesh, says the Asycuda system is highly standardized-domain-based digital platform which is widely used by more than a hundred countries.

"Any experimentation may leave serious adverse impact on international trade and revenue mobilisation with this," he alerts.

The government recently launched Bangladesh Single Window based on Asycuda system, so it should let the window run smoothly rather than experimenting on Asycuda, he notes.

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