NBR still waiting on full ATM import data

The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate of the National Board of Revenue is yet to get information on around 3,000 automated teller machines (ATMs) that were imported, officials said.

The directorate hinted that unscrupulous businesses might have brought in the ATMs under the guise of computer accessories, which are subjected to 7 percent duty as opposed to 31 percent for cash machines.

Many of the machines were also brought in as “samples” to avoid paying taxes.

“We have got information from all banks on their ATMs, but we are yet to get import data of some suppliers, especially Technomedia Ltd, a major supplier of ATMs,” said a senior official of the directorate.

Technomedia has sought time extension a couple of times already but it is yet to submit its import documents, he said.

The directorate's move to investigate cash machine imports and purchases came following the series of ATM frauds that took place between February 6 and 12 this year.

The incident, in which at least Tk 25 lakh was stolen, caused quite a stir among people as it was the first-of-its-kind in the country.

Accordingly, the directorate issued a letter to the managing directors of 53 banks that operate ATMs, asking them to provide data on their ATM purchases and imports in 10 days.

Though all the banks have given their data to the directorate, a few of the suppliers are yet to do so.

The directorate in its investigation found that a total of 13 suppliers imported 9,211 ATMs to Bangladesh.

Of them, Technomedia alone imported 4,387 machines, 3,245 of which were just for Dutch-Bangla Bank.

“We have got data of around 1,000 ATMs from Technomedia,” said the official involved in the investigation.

Joshoda Jibon Deb Nath, managing director of Technomedia, however, told The Daily Star that it has given information on all the ATMs his company has imported.

“I have given all papers to the directorate. I took time as I was shifting my office,” said Nath, who claimed to be an authorised dealer of US-based NCR ATMs.

All the ATMs were imported from NCR's plant in Hungary, he said.

Abul Kashem Mohammad Shirin, deputy managing director of Dutch-Bangla Bank, said: “We buy ATMs through tender and the lowest bidder gets the work order. So far, Technomedia supplied most of our machines.”

IT Consultants Ltd (ITCL) that runs Q-Cash, an ATM network, imported 2,739 cash machines, followed by Leads Corporation at 839. The remaining machines were brought in by 10 firms, investigators said.

ITCL imported a total of 2,950 ATMs, all of which were from Germany's Wincor Nixdorf. The company sold 2,739 of the machines to different banks.

“We have given all our import data to the directorate in time. We have all the documents. There is nothing to hide,” said Kazi Saifuddin Munir, managing director of ITCL.