DHAKA: The High Court adjourned the hearing of a writ filed against GBX Logistics Ltd, a cargo container shipping company and also agent of Hapag-Lloyd, the German-based shipping line, for tax dodging and money laundering.
An HC bench of Justices Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Md Ashraful Kamal Sunday (Feb 11) adjourned the writ petition hearing for three weeks.
Lawyer Ajmalul Hossain QC along with Imtiaz moved for the writ on behalf of the writ petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Motahar Hossain Sazu moved for the state.
Petitioner’s counsel told Banglanews that GBX Logistics Ltd is the representative company of the German-based multinational company Hapag-Lloyd that transport goods using its own ships and containers.
In 2014, GBX Logistics earned a huge amount of money for transporting goods of Hapag-Lloyd at the commission rate (import- 2 percent, export- 2.5 to 5 percent) fixed by Bangladesh Bank.
However, the company had evaded 5 percent tax from the National Board of Revenue (NBR) fixed 37.5 percent income tax and at the same time laundered the amount of tax money abroad.
Petitioner’s counsel said, “Earlier in 2012, SW Shipping Company was the agent of Hapag-Lloyd. In that year, the company gained 7.81 crore as commission for container supply.”
However, in 2014, GBX Logistics Limited in their audited financial reports showed that it has earned only Tk 5 crore (undeclared as income) even though handling twice as containers than SW Shipping Company and paid tax Tk 25,14,940tk.
“In that same year, GBX earned Tk 8.12 crore by working as an agent of Singapore based companies OEL and BLPL. So in total, GBX bagged Tk 12.12 crore in 2014 but paid tax of Tk 61,24,688 despite of the fixed rate of 37.5 percent. It is not acceptable”, said the petitioner.
Mentioning the irregularities, the petitioner has sent legal notice twice to NBR, Bangladesh Bank and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to take necessary actions against GBX Logostocs and its mother company Hapag-Lloyd.
After receiving no response from three national institutions, lawyer Motiur Rahman filed the writ petition with the relevant branch of the High Court in last week. The court adjourned the hearing today.
In the writ petition, Rule has been sought for asking authorities concerned to explain why the inaction of NBR, BB and ACC against GBX Logistics for tax evasion and money laundering should not be declared illegal and why the company’s license won’t be cancelled.
Furthermore, in the writ petition, a direction has been sought on GBX Logistics Limited and Hapag Lloyd to submit necessary documents in relation to the export and import cargo volume carried by each of them, the freight earned and/or commission earned/paid for the years 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
BDST: 2040 HRS, FEB 11, 2018
AP/SMS
