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EC team in town to probe GSP forgery

Jasim Uddin Khan
An independent high profile anti-fraud team from European Commission (EC) is now in Dhaka to probe fraudulent exports by many to Europe through a third country cashing in on the generalised system of preference (GSP) facilities. .
The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) will visit Export Promotion Bureau to check if any dubious documents issued by the state-run export promotional agency are found, and will also go to some factories and quiz officials to identify any link with such GSP forgery.
OLAF's responsibilities include protecting the European Union's (EU) financial interests through conducting investigation into fraud, corruption and any other irregularities besides misconduct within the EU institutions.
The EC under the GSP offers lower tariffs or duty-free access for imports from 178 developing countries and territories, including Bangladesh into the EU mar-kets.
But a section of dishonest entrepreneurs, including several companies from countries that are not entitled to GSP facilities, import raw materials from China, Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan and use fake certificates while exporting their products to European countries, sources said.
The OLAF team that arrived in Dhaka on Sunday is also trying to identify how a third country people use Bangladesh quota of GSP certificates.
Rakib-ur-Rahman, director general of Textile Cell, EPB, said,"We are not aware about the work strategy and other
details of the risiting OLAF team's schedule because they are not interested to make their findings public.”
He said that the team will leave Bangladesh on April 26 and vrill submit its report to the EC.
When asked, Zillul Hye Razi, EU trade adviser in Dhaka, also said that the team is working independently.
Meanwhile, Germany made a list of some traders who allegedly import textiles using fake GSP certificates. The German customs kept a section of their importers on this list of suspects who have track record of involvement in the GSP forgery.
Earlier, the German
Customs imposed a 12 percent deposit on suspicious imports due to fears over the widespread abuse of certificates that allow Bangladeshi products a duty-free access.
Later, it lifted the restriction after Bangladesh adopted some measures to check forgery.
The EPB from first January launched a new type of GSP certificate, security seal and stringent policy of distribution.
Bangladesh exporters complain that the delay in action against forgery had prompted the EC to bring about some changes in some customs rules recently.
Records suggest that a Korean company at Chittagong EPZ had availed the GSP facility of USS 3.5 million (equivalent to Tk 25 crore) through seven fake GSP forms during 1998-1999. A probe body comprising officials from the Ministry of Commerce, EPB, Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority (Bepza) and BGMEA detected this irregularity.
jasim@thedailystar.net