Textile

Bangladesh budget proposes only 1% customs duty on PTA, MEG imports

06 Jun '24
2 min read
Bangladesh budget proposes only 1% customs duty on PTA, MED imports
Pic: Adobe Stock

Insights

Ensuring compliance of decent work environment in 1,550 readymade garment (RMG) factories and imposing 1 per cent customs duty on purified terephthalic acid (PTA) and mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) and waiving off all other duties and taxes on these two raw materials are part of the proposals presented by Bangladesh finance minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali in his speech today while presenting the budget for fiscal 2024-25 (FY25).

Polyester (synthetic) staple fibre (PSF) and PET chips (textile grade) products are regarded as widely used material for textile industry. The main raw materials for these two products are PTA and MEG. However, it is observed that the total tax incidence on the finished goods is less than its raw material.

To ensure overall welfare and improve RMG workers' living standards, the process of creating a database by including information of three lakh workers in the first phase is under way, the minister said.

Together with this, a target has also been set to provide free primary healthcare services to 3.76 lakh workers and recreational services to 4.55 lakh workers. To protect the fundamental rights of workers, a target has been set to provide training to 49,500 workers, he said.

The proposed budget for the ministry of textiles and jute is 574 crore taka (~$49 million) for fiscal 2024-25.

Glauber salt has been written instead of disodium sulphate in the notification related to the import of raw materials for use in the weaving industry, and this is not in line with the description of the existing First Schedule, he noted.

“Considering the recommendation of the ministry of textile and to remove confusion at the import stage, I propose to amend the description in the notification by inserting disodium sulphate instead of glauber salt,” he added.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)