Tariff on import of motorcycles with over 250cc proposed
Currently, import and marketing of motorcycles with engine capacity above 165 cc is banned in the country though businesses have long been demanding the withdrawal of cc limit.
Their demand geared up after renowned Indian motorcycle brand Royal Enfield expressed interest to enter Bangladesh market.
Now tariff has been proposed on the import of motorcycles with over 250cc for the first time.
Finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal made the proposal while delivering the budget speech in the national parliament on Thursday.
He said, “In our country, factories have been set up to manufacture motorcycles with engine capacity of more than 250 cc. There is currently no supplementary duty on the import of such products.”
“On the other hand, in case of import of motorcycles up to 250 cc, there is a supplementary duty of 60 per cent for four-stroke and 250 per cent for two-stroke motorcycles. Therefore, I am proposing to impose 100 per cent supplementary duty in case of import of four-stroke and 250 per cent supplementary duty in case of import of two-stroke motorcycles with engine capacity above 250 cc,” he added.
The Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission filed a report on the withdrawal of motorcycle capacity limit following an appeal of the Motorcycle Manufactures’ and Exporters’ Association.
The commission recommended withdrawing the engine capacity limit saying there is no relation between speed and cc of a motorcycle and there is such limit on engine capacity nowhere in the world.
The report also recommended imposing additional fees on bike registration to give extra protection to local bike industry.