Petrobangla has sought a waiver of Tk8,103 crore from the Tk21,846 crore in customs dues claimed by the Chattogram Custom House over LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) imports. It has proposed paying the remaining amount in installments over the coming years.
The outstanding customs liabilities related to LNG imports have continued to rise since 2021, making Petrobangla the largest state-owned defaulter in terms of customs revenue.
According to the Chattogram Custom House, the unpaid dues remained unchanged at Tk21,846 crore at the end of the 2025-26 fiscal year as no payments were made during the year despite repeated demand notices issued by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the Custom House.
Customs officials believe recovery of the outstanding dues from state-owned enterprises, particularly Petrobangla, would significantly boost government revenue collection and help narrow one of the largest revenue gaps faced by the Chattogram Custom House.
Petrobangla, however, argues that the dues accumulated due to structural and financial constraints rather than deliberate non-payment.
Confirming the development, Petrobangla Director (Finance) AKM Md Mizanur Rahman said the organisation had already applied to the NBR for a waiver of Tk8,103 crore, while the process of repaying the remaining Tk13,426 crore in phases was set to begin.
According to Petrobangla, the total customs claim comprises two separate components.
The first component — Tk8,103 crore, for which a waiver has been sought — arose from complications involving the two-tier VAT system at the import and distribution stages.
Petrobangla said it was unable to collect VAT twice from consumers because the additional VAT was not incorporated into the LNG tariff approved by the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission. As a result, the Energy and Mineral Resources Division recently requested the NBR to waive this portion of the liability.
The remaining Tk13,426 crore represents payable customs dues. Petrobangla said it had been under severe financial pressure because LNG is imported at significantly higher international prices than the subsidised domestic selling price.
The situation has been aggravated by large unpaid bills owed to Petrobangla by the Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) and the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), limiting its ability to clear customs liabilities.
Mizanur Rahman said the Tk13,426 crore relates mainly to LNG imports made before 2 June last year, when VAT on LNG imports was withdrawn.
“We will pay the dues in phases. The pace of repayment will depend largely on the recovery of our receivables from the power and fertiliser sectors. We expect to start making payments from next month,” he said.
Although a repayment period of up to 15 years has been proposed, Petrobangla expects that, provided its financial position improves, the outstanding Tk13,426 crore could be cleared within five to seven years.
The fate of the Tk8,103 crore waiver, however, will depend on the decision of the NBR and the government.
Officials at the Chattogram Custom House said Petrobangla had been accumulating customs arrears since 2021.
Unlike private importers, who must pay all applicable duties before their goods are released, Petrobangla and the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) are allowed to clear imported cargo first and pay customs duties later under special arrangements.
Spokesperson for the Chattogram Custom House Assistant Commissioner Sharif Mohammad Al Amin said the delayed settlement of Petrobangla’s dues had a noticeable impact on customs revenue collection.
“The outstanding customs dues have been accumulating since 2021. As Petrobangla enjoys deferred payment facilities, the unpaid liabilities continue to affect revenue collection,” he said.
