Tax reduced on mobile phone imports: Press secretary

The government has reduced taxes on mobile phone imports, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam announced on Thursday.

Speaking at a briefing held in the afternoon at the auditorium of the Foreign Service Academy in the capital, Shafiqul said the customs duty on imported mobile phones has been cut from 25% to 10%.

He added that the tax on locally manufactured mobile phones has also been reduced from 10% to 5%.

The press secretary expressed hope that the government’s move would further expand Bangladesh’s mobile phone industry.

He noted that a large number of used mobile phones are imported into the country from abroad, refurbished to some extent, and then sold in the local market.

“As a result, consumers suffer significantly, and the government is deprived of substantial tax revenue,” he said.

Shafiqul Alam said the tax reduction is expected to increase demand for mobile phones manufactured in Bangladesh and help lower their prices.

On the distribution of textbooks to students in the new year, the press secretary said all textbooks would be delivered to students by 15 January.

He added that errors in 123 textbooks have been corrected following consultations with teachers.

At the briefing, Deputy Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser Abul Kalam Azad Majumder said 83% of the total textbooks have already been distributed to students.

He added that the government is working to ensure the remaining textbooks are delivered on time.