Restrictions on milk import
The honourable commerce minister stated that the government was going to impose restrictions on import of powdered milk in next three years' import policy to discourage its import. I would like to draw the attention of the government to consider the situation from the consumers' point of view. The BNP led government imposed high customs duty, VAT, supplementary duty, AIT, PSI etc. to discourage import of powdered milk on the plea that production of milk in the country would be increased manifold within a couple of years as a result of such measures. The government also introduced cash subsidy for cattle farmers. But the government could not continue the programme due to mismanagement of subsidy funds. In practice people did not get adequate supply of milk in the last one and a half decade.
Owing to scarcity of milk, the price of per litre liquid milk has gone up to Tk. 47.00 in urban areas which is out of reach of even the middle-income group people.
Kids need milk as subsidiary food staff every day. The price must be within the reach of common people. Easy import of powdered milk with reduced rate of import duties is the available alternative before Bangladesh. The government must safeguard the interest of common consumers of milk. Restrictions and high import duties could not increase production of milk in the last one and a half decade, as the situation in Bangladesh is not suitable for commercial milk production.
I would like to urge the government to reconsider its decision of imposing restrictions on import of powdered milk.
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