PM directs duty cut on rice, edible oil, sugar, dates before Ramadan

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Monday directed the authority concerned to reduce the import duty on four essential items - rice, edible oil, sugar and dates- ahead of the upcoming Ramadan for price control.
The directive came from the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office in the city, reports UNB.
"The Prime Minister has given a clear directive to decrease the duty on four items - edible oil, sugar, rice and dates - on the occasion of the upcoming Ramadan," said Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain while briefing reporters at the Secretariat.
Now the National Board of Revenue (NBR) would assess how much the duty can be curtailed, he said.
The PM also asked all the authorities concerned to work in a coordinated way and monitor the market so that there would be no deficit in the supply of the goods against the demand in the market, he added.
Replying to a question, the cabinet secretary said the importers now don't face problem to open LCs to import any essential goods.