The government has tightened procedures to issue GSP certificates to exporters in a bid to check misuse of the certificates that allow goods’ duty-free access to the European market.

The government move comes following imposition of 12 percent security deposit by Germany on Bangladeshi garment imports. German authorities imposed the deposit in September following investigations that showed several companies had been exporting products to European countries using fake Bangladeshi GSP certificates.

As part of the measures the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) has asked commercial banks to maintain records of GSP (generalised system of preference) certificate users.

“We instructed the banks to sell GSP forms only to official representatives of genuine exporters. The banks will make sure that details of the buyers including photo IDs are recorded in registers,” said Md Shahab Ullah, vice chairman of EPB, which introduced the new system last month.

He said earlier anyone could buy a GSP form from banks paying only Tk 50. The easy availability of the GSP forms prompted a section of people to misuse the GSP facilities, he added.

After receiving a GSP form an exporter needs to get certification both from his/her business association and EPB to get duty-free access to Europe.

The EPB also plans to import a highly sophisticated seal from Brussels for certification to check forgery in GSP certificates.

The EPB also mulls introducing a biometric system for issuing the certificates.

Moreover, the EPB is now sending the GSP certificates, sent back by European countries, to Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to identify people involved in the forgery.

The vice chairman of EPB said the CID will investigate the matter and will give reports to the EPB after through investigation.

The 12 percent deposit has to be paid by buyers and is only returned when the GSP certificate that comes with the goods shipment is authenticated. Its imposition in September caught Bangladeshi exporters by surprise.

It has been claimed that the move was taken without any consultation or prior notification.

Earlier, a high-powered government team investigated the matter and found that some people in other developing countries prepare fake Bangladeshi GSP certificates in connivance with a section of local people to export products to EU countries.

A business team meanwhile will visit Germany soon to request the country to withdraw the 12 percent security money and to make them understand the EU countries itself could protect such export.