Products that might see price fall

Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed has proposed reducing duties and taxes on several products in the proposed budget for the 2025–26 fiscal year.

He presented the budget in a televised address to the nation today, Monday. The budget speech began at 3:00 pm.

The duties and taxes that are proposed in the budget come into immediate effect, thus, if duties and taxes are reduced, prices might fall. Usually, a rise in increased duties and taxes affect the market quickly, while impact effect of tax reduction tends to take time.

The import duty on refined sugar has been reduced by Tk 500 per tonne, bringing it down to Tk 4,000. This will create an opportunity to lower sugar prices.

VAT has been exempted on sanitary napkins at the local trade level.

VAT has been exempted on packaged liquid milk at the local trade level.

VAT has been exempted on ballpoint pens at the local trade level.

Prices of imported fish and meat may drop due to reduction in supplementary duties. Supplementary duties on imported fish including salmon and tuna have been reduced.

Supplementary duty on ice cream has been reduced from 10 per cent to 5 per cent, and that may lead to a decrease in ice cream prices.

VAT has been exempted at production and trading levels on computer monitors up to 30 inches in size, instead of the previous 22 inches. Interactive monitors have also been included in this category. Overall, slightly larger monitors may become available at lower prices.

The 3 per cent regulatory duty on butter imports has been lifted, thus, the price of imported butter may fall slightly.

Supplementary duty on foreign plastic utensils has been reduced by 5 per cent.

The supplementary duty on imported clothing for men, women, and children has been slightly reduced.

Prices of imported footwear may fall as supplementary duty on imported shoes and sandals has been slightly reduced.