The government has cut the tax at source on imports of various fresh fruits, including apples, grapes, pears, oranges and malta, from 10 percent to 5 percent.

The information came from the National Board of Revenue (NBR) on Thursday, 13 March. The NBR issued the order on Wednesday, 12 March, with instructions that it take effect immediately.

The fruits on which the advance tax has been cut, as the report calls it in its list, are: fresh or dried oranges, fresh or dried citrus fruit, fresh or dried grapefruit, fresh or dried lemons, fresh or dried grapes, and fresh apples and pears.

Earlier, on 9 January, the supplementary duty on imported fruit was raised from 20 to 30 percent, pushing up the price of imported fruit in the market.

Imported fruit now carries 25 percent import duty, 20 percent regulatory duty, 30 percent supplementary duty, 5 percent advance tax (ogrim kar), 15 percent VAT and 5 percent advance tax (agam kar).

People concerned say almost every kind of duty and tax is levied on fruit. Until now the total tax burden was 136 percent: importing Tk 100 of fruit meant paying Tk 136 in tax. With the cut in advance tax, the burden will now fall somewhat.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.