Reinstate issuance of import permits from Ctg

CHATTOGRAM, June 25: The Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) has urged the agriculture minister to instruct the authorities concerned to issue import permits for food items from Chattogram.

CCCI president Mahbubul Alam sent a letter with the appeal to Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury on June 24.

In the letter, he said the quarantine office of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Chattogram had issued permits for the import of food items since 2002.

But the permits will now be issued only from Dhaka as per quarantine rules 2018.

At the same time, the issuance of SRO (statutory regulatory order) in the event of flouting of rules in the import of botanical products has also been abrogated, the letter said.

The CCCI president urged the minister to reinstate the system of issuing permits from the Chattogram office of the department concerned.

It is mandatory for businesses to take permits for the import of rice, wheat, grams, chick peas, oil seeds, spices and fresh and dry foods, he said.

As no permits will be issued from Chattogram, food importers who are mostly from Chattogram will suffer a lot and face hassles, he added.

Export and import activities will also be affected, said the CCCI president.

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