Exports to Bangladesh stalled

Exports from India to Bangladesh through the Petrapole land port in West Bengal has stopped following failure of the commerce ministry to evolve a new system to handle documentation.

Federation of Indian Exporters' Organisation (FIEO) said today, close to 5,000 trucks were stranded at the border for almost a week after India's Border Security Force (BSF) stopped clearing agents from working.

FIEO has complained about the massive losses being caused by the disruption to Vinay Bansal, additional secretary in the Union ministry of commerce.

The home ministry, controlling the BSF, has been informed. Exports could resume if clearing agents were permitted to cross the border.

Trucks from Bangladesh were coming freely into India. Indian trucks were paying Rs 500 per day as demurrage.

The agents collect custom documents like shipping bills from exporters, cross the border to submit them to Bangladesh customs, obtain the clearance certificate and then hand them to Indian trucks so that vehicles can cross over.

BSF was not allowing the agents to cross the border. Indian and Bangladeshi commerce ministry officials had met in November 2003 and set a deadline of March 4, 2004, to develop a superior system.

But while no new system had been notified, BSF had refused to allow the old system to continue after March 4.