The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has once again lowered duties on imported fresh fruits to help stabilise domestic prices during Ramadan and beyond.

In two separate notifications issued on Monday, the tax authority announced a 5 percent reduction in the supplementary duty (SD) on fresh fruits, including oranges, apples, grapes, and pears.

With this revision, importers will now pay a 25 percent duty instead of the previous 30 percent. Additionally, the NBR has completely waived the 5 percent advance tax (AT) on fresh fruit imports.

Earlier, on March 10, the NBR cut the advance income tax (AIT) on fruit imports by half, reducing it to 5 percent to further ease costs and keep prices affordable during Ramadan, a period of heightened consumption.

According to the NBR, this initiative aims to make imported fruits more accessible to consumers.

It added that the interim government has given massive tax exemptions in the last few months on import duty, regulatory duty, VAT, advance tax and advance tax on edible oil, sugar, potatoes, eggs, onions, rice, dates and pesticides.

Due to various timely steps taken by the government, including tax exemptions, it has been possible to keep the prices of goods at a tolerable level during the holy month of Ramadan this year.

BDST: 1204 HRS, March 18, 2025
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