NBR cuts import tax for air purifiers by almost half. Who will benefit?

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has significantly reduced the import tax on air purifiers, as announced in a gazette notification on Monday (20 January). 

Air purifiers are mainly used to improve indoor air quality for health reasons. Recently, imports have increased due to growing concerns about air quality in the country.

According to an NBR press release, the revenue authorities have offered this tax reduction to make air purifiers more affordable. 

Currently, the total tax on the product is about 59%. The NBR has cut almost 27% of the import tax, including customs duty, advance tax, and regulatory duty.

A senior NBR official told The Business Standard, "After the tax cut, the total import tax will drop to 32%, down from the previous 59%." 

Industry insiders have reported that air purifier prices currently range between Tk15,000 and Tk75,000, depending on quality. Following the tax reduction, prices are expected to decrease significantly, according to NBR officials.

However, experts argue that the tax cut will mainly benefit a small portion of society and will not contribute much to improving public health overall. 

Prof Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder, founder and director of the Center for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS), told TBS, "Air purifiers are mostly accessible to affluent groups. Reducing taxes for this group will not bring meaningful improvements to public health."

Prof Ahmad, a well-known specialist in air and noise pollution, added, "Rather than focusing on air purifiers, effective measures should be taken to address the root causes of air pollution." 

However, he noted, "If the tax benefit is specifically given to air purifiers used for medical purposes, it would be acceptable."