Staff Reporter :
The government has decided to further lower the import duty on rice, down to two percent from 10, to encourage import and to tackle food crisis , if any.
Food Minister Quamrul Islam announced it on Wednesday after the Food, Planning and Monitoring Committee meeting.
Additionally, the government has decided to import 20 lakh tonnes of food in the public sector this fiscal, Quamrul said. It includes 15 lakh tonnes of rice and five lakh tonnes of wheat.
Two months ago, the government slashed the import duty on rice to10 percent in the backdrop of major market instability and storage of the prime staple.
Now, Bangladesh is under the devastating flood. It has already inundated the northern districts, crops heaven of the country.
“This decision of the government does not say there is a food crisis in the country,” Quamrul Islam said, concluding. “In fact, there is no food shortage in the country.”
The food minister hoped that the combined efforts will help ease the price of rice in the market.
Earlier yesterday, Finance Minister AMA Muhith said, the price of the prime staple is higher in the market and that the government has the capacity to bear the additional cost.
