Staff Reporter :
The government has taken a decision of importing salt to stabilise the local market.
After four years of ban on import, recently the government has decided to import to make up the shortage in the country.
There is a shortfall of more than five lakh tonnes in the salt production in the country this year. In such a situation, an initiative has been taken to import salt from India so that the salt market does not become unstable.
Import of salt from neighbouring India has started mainly due to quality and price advantage. 30 thousand tons arrived the country in last July. And this week another 80 thousand tons will reach Chattogram Port.
Moreover, one and a half lakh tons of salt is expected to arrive the country within this month. This information is known from government and salt mill owner association sources.
According to the relevant sources, the country has a target of 23 lakh 35 thousand tons of salt production in the recently concluded season, but 18 lakh 30 thousand tons of salt has been produced.
In other words, 5 lakh 5 thousand tons of salt has been produced less than the production target. In such a situation, the government has decided to import salt through certain dealers while the market remains stable.
According to sources, the salt production season in the country ended on May 21. Despite a somewhat hostile environment, salt production in the country has come close to the target this time.
There is a shortfall of only 5 lakh 5 thousand tonnes. In this situation, the decision to import salt was taken so that the market is not unstable. Besides, increasing the import duty on sodium
sulphate used in various industries has discouraged unnecessary imports.
Still a gang is active in importing food salt under false declaration. There are also reports of a vicious gang smuggling salt from Myanmar.
Sources also said that the government took the decision to import salt at the end of last June. After deciding to import one and a half lakh tonnes of salt through 230 mill owners registered by BSIC, it is gradually coming into the country.
Due to the unstable market situation of various consumer goods, the government is thinking of importing 3.5 lakh tons of salt. There are eight zones of salt production in the country. Millers in those zones are divided into A, B, C and D groups.
Meanwhile, according to the Salt Mill Owners Association, the market price of salt at crude and finished product level is completely stable. At different times 20 to 30 taka per mana sometimes increases and sometimes decreases. At present, a 75 kg bag of salt is being sold at Tk 1,500 to Tk 11,500 at Mill Gate. And crude salt is being sold at 960 to 1050 taka. The salt imported from the neighbouring country Gujarat, India through Kalna port is arriving at Chattogram Port.
