The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has halved the source tax on imported fresh fruits, including oranges, malta, grapes, apples, and pears, reducing it to 5 percent in an effort to keep domestic prices stable during Ramadan and beyond.

The NBR made this decision following a recommendation from the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission (BTTC) to lower duties and taxes on fresh fruits, aiming to reduce prices and make them more affordable.

Earlier, the BTTC had recommended reducing the advance tax on fresh fruit imports from 10 percent to 2 percent and rationalizing the 20 percent regulatory duty.

On January 10, the NBR increased the supplementary duty on fresh fruit imports from 20 percent to 30 percent, causing prices in the domestic market to rise.

In response, the BTTC has proposed reverting the duty to its previous rate.