Titled ‘Accelerating Transport and Trade Connectivity in Eastern South Asia (ACCESS) - Bangladesh Phase-1’, it will be implemented by the Bangladesh Land Port Authority (BLPA), the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the roads and highways department (RHD).
The World Bank has designed the $1045.95 million ACCESS programme to raise the efficiency and resilience of trade and transport along key regional corridors in eastern South Asia.
It will provide $753.45 million as loan assistance, while the Bangladesh government will give Tk646.45 crore for implementing the project.
"The BLPA is committed to work in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and building a 'Smart Bangladesh' by 2041. In the future, our land ports will be smart, modern and eco-friendly,” Chowdhury was quoted as saying by Bangladesh media reports.
The project is being implemented in Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan with three pillars: digital systems for trade; green and resilient transport and trade infrastructure; and institutional and policy strengthening for transport and trade.
ACCESS is aimed at supporting the Bangladesh government in establishing a functional and empowered institutional structure, capable of formulating and implementing the envisioned long-term programme to facilitate trade and related outcomes in the country.
It will address three key constraints to enhancing regional connectivity and trade: manual and paper-based trade processes; non-resilient, unsafe and congested transport and trade infrastructure; and restrictive policies, regulations, processes and inadequate capacity to support cross-border trade and transport.
The project will support the development of automated border management systems at key border points, the resilient improvement of the Sylhet Sheola section of the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar economic corridor, increasing the infrastructure capacity and efficiency of the Benapole, Bhomra, and Burimari land ports.
It will also support construction of the custom house at Chittagong and customs, excise and value-added tax training academy at Chittagong, and technical assistance to support contemporary border management, risk management, transit facilitation, customs cooperation and harmonising customs requirements.
The project aims at 30 per cent rise in freight throughput at key border points, 30 per cent reduction in travel time along the project corridor, 40 per cent reduction in annual fatalities along the project corridor, physical customs inspection (red channel) to be reduced from 25 per cent now to 10 per cent and raise customs clearance through green channel from up to 60 per cent now by the time the project ends in June 30, 2029.
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