Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, in his budget speech delivered to the National Parliament on Thursday, has proposed complete withdrawal of the existing 5 per cent regulatory duty (RD) on date imports for the 2026–27 fiscal year.
The measure is intended to ease import costs and improve consumer affordability for a commodity that has become one of Bangladesh’s most vital food imports.
Despite the move, industry stakeholders and sector insiders believe the withdrawal alone is unlikely to lead to a significant reduction in retail prices, as the broader tax structure remains largely unchanged.
Dates see peak demand during the holy month of Ramadan, which accounts for nearly 40,000 tonnes of the country’s 90,000-tonne annual demand.
Statistics from the Plant Quarantine Station at Chattogram sea port reveal that Bangladesh imported 80,025 metric tonnes of dates during the first ten months of the current fiscal year (July 2025–April 2026).
Sirajul Islam, president of the Bangladesh Fresh Fruits Importers Association (BFFIA), welcomed the proposal as a positive step but cautioned that its practical impact on market prices would be limited.
He pointed out that while the regulatory duty is being removed, importers are still required to pay a 25 per cent customs duty, 15 per cent value-added tax (VAT), and 5 per cent advance income tax (AIT).
Under the previous regime, the regulatory duty ranged from 3 to 5 per cent depending on the type and size of the packaging.
Islam noted that because the overall tax burden remains significant, the benefits of the RD withdrawal will be marginal. “Import costs may decline slightly on a per-kilogram basis, but the impact on retail prices is expected to be minimal,” he stated.
