Leaf Export Duty Would Harm Competitiveness

Source from:  Tobacco Reporter 06/28/2010

The global competitiveness of Bangladeshi leaf tobacco will be damaged if the government goes ahead with the imposition of a 10 per cent duty on leaf, according to a story in The Daily Star. "The duty will hurt the competitiveness of the Bangladeshi produce in the international market, as no country in the world imposes duty on the product," Zakir Ibne Hai, head of corporate and regulatory affairs at British American Tobacco Bangladesh, was quoted as saying. "When Bangladesh is looking for export diversification, the proposed export duty will definitely be considered as regressive. It will also negatively impact the livelihood of thousands of farmers." Around 300,000 farmers who grew tobacco in Rangpur, Kushtia and Chittagong would be affected by the duty impost on exports of tobacco, the country's top cash crop, said the Star. Enditem