Supplementary duty on powdered milk import

The price of powdered milk has skyrocketed in the past few months, forcing a good number of people to refrain from purchasing milk powder. 50 percent of the children in Bangladesh were reportedly deprived of milk consumption as a premium source of nutrition due to lower production, supply-side shortage and high price. The BNP government's decision in the 90s to boost domestic milk production by imposing high supplementary duties proved fruitless. Instead, milk has now become a rich man's food – one litre costs Tk 63 now. With Ramadan fast approaching, I urge the government to withdraw the supplementary duty on powdered milk imports so that more people can afford to consume milk.

Md Ashraf Hossain

Ramna