Private traders get rice import permission
The minister on Monday said that the decision will be effective from today.
Photo: Collected
The government has permitted private traders to import rice, Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Mazumder has said.
"The decision will be effective from today," he said on Monday.
If rice is imported, the price will come down, he said.
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The government has also decided to lower import duty to make the rice market stable, he added.
The import duty for rice at present is 25%, which will be reduced to 15% for parboiled and atap (non-boiled) rice following the new decision.
Earlier on Thursday, the National Board of Revenue issued a circular, asking the authorities concerned to reduce tariffs in the face of rising rice prices in the country amid the coronavirus pandemic.
