Importers want duty cut
The Bangladesh Refrigerator Manufacturers Association on Tuesday demanded that the National Board of Revenue should increase supplementary duty on import of refrigerator and freezer to 60 per cent from the existing 30 per cent to attract more investment in manufacturing industry in the country. At a pre-budget discussion with the NBR, the association also recommended to reduce duty on import of raw materials used in refrigerator manufacturing industry.
‘The NBR should increase supplementary duty on import of refrigerator and freezer to help the local industry expand and increase export of Bangladeshi electronics products,’ said BRMA secretary general Lokman Hossain Akash at the meeting.
The BRMA also demanded reduction of duty on import of mould steel to 3 per cent from the existing 12 per cent.
At the same meeting, importers of electronics products, however, demanded reduction of duty on import of refrigerators and air conditioning machine so that mass consumers could get the products in cheaper prices.
The Bangladesh Electronics Merchants Association demanded duty cut on import of refrigerators and reduction of the duty gap between imported and locally-manufactured refrigerators to 60 per cent from nearly 108 per cent.
The association said now-a-days refrigerators were not luxury goods; those had become essential products even for middle-income people of the country.
Air conditioning machine importers also demanded reduction in supplementary duty on import of the products to 20 per cent from the existing 100 per cent.
Bangladesh TV Manufacturers Association president Mohabbat Ullah demanded a reduction of duty on import of LED panel for television at 5 per cent and an increase of duty on import of complete built unit (CBU) of television to save local industry.
The Bangladesh Toy Merchant and Manufacturers Association sought exemption of duty in import of spare parts for the industry to help the industry grow in the country.
At a separate meeting, the Bangladesh Tea Association president Safwan Choudhury demanded withdrawal of 15 per cent VAT and 5 per cent income tax on price on the lease of tea estate.
Representatives from the Bangladesh Efficient Lighting Manufacturers Association, Bangladesh Electrical Merchandise Manufacturers Association, and the Bangladesh Electronics Manufacturers Association were present, among others, at the meeting.
NBR chairman Ghulam Hussain presided over the meeting while NBR members Farid Uddin and Syed Aminul Karim were present at the meeting.
-With New Age input
