Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Thursday presented the national budget for FY2026-27 in Parliament at 3pm, introducing a series of tax changes that are expected to push prices of some goods up while reducing the cost of many others.
PRICES to INCREASE Cigarettes: Tk 62 (low tier), Tk 92 (medium), Tk 160 (high), Tk 210 (ultra-high) per 10 sticks; Nicotine products: 350 per cent supplementary duty on nicotine granules and pouches; Imported vehicles (1,200-1,600 cc): Tax raised from 132.36 per cent to around 156 per cent; Cashew nuts: Import duty increased to 25 per cent (processed and unprocessed); 15 per cent for domestic-producer category; Pangas fillet: 20 per cent supplementary duty on imports; LPG cylinders: VAT imposed at import stage on composite cylinders; Honey: Minimum customs value raised from USD 5 to USD 7 per unit; Betel nut: Minimum customs value increased by USD 0.25 per unit; Processed foods (imports): Higher duties on sugar confectionery, coffee, ready meals; Cosmetics (lip products): Increased customs duty on lip liner, lip gel and related items; Rod materials: Higher VAT on inputs may increase rod prices; Others: Higher duties likely to increase prices of tiles, sanitary ware, foam, microwave ovens, bicycles and toys.
PRICES to DECREASEDaily essentials (60 items): Source tax cut from 5 per cent, 2 per cent and 1 per cent to 0.5 per cent (rice, wheat, potatoes, fish, onion, garlic, sugar, edible oil, etc.); Baby food: Import duty reduced from 15 pc to 10 pc; Spices: 5 pc duty withdrawn on cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, pepper, coriander; Dates: 5pc duty removed; Gold jewellery: Source tax cut from 5 pc to 0.5 per cent; Electric vehicles: Tax reduced from 93 pc to 64 pc (lower category) and adjusted for higher tiers; plug-in hybrids exempted; Computers & electronics: Import duties, VAT and supplementary duties withdrawn on laptops, desktops, servers, printers and monitors; Kidney dialysis: VAT and advance tax withdrawn on dialysis filters; cost may fall by about Tk 800 per session; Medicines: Duty exemptions on raw materials and concessions for cancer drug ingredients; Musical instruments: 5 per cent duty withdrawn on guitars, pianos, violins and parts; Cinematographic equipment: Duty reduced from 15pc to 5 pc on spare parts; Others: Lower duties expected on solar equipment, POS devices, cosmetics, animal feed and selected imported goods.
Source tax cut from 5pc, 2 pc and 1 per cent to 0.5pc (rice, wheat, potatoes, fish, onion, garlic, sugar, edible oil, etc.); Baby food: Import duty reduced from 15 pc to 10 pc; Spices: 5 pc duty withdrawn on cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, pepper, coriander; Dates: 5 pc duty removed; Gold jewellery: Source tax cut from 5 pc to 0.5 pc; Electric vehicles: Tax reduced from 93 pc to 64 per cent (lower category) and adjusted for higher tiers; plug-in hybrids exempted; Computers & electronics: Import duties, VAT and supplementary duties withdrawn on laptops, desktops, servers, printers and monitors; Kidney dialysis: VAT and advance tax withdrawn on dialysis filters; cost may fall by about Tk 800 per session; Medicines: Duty exemptions on raw materials and concessions for cancer drug ingredients; Musical instruments: 5 pc duty withdrawn on guitars, pianos, violins and parts; Cinematographic equipment: Duty reduced from 15 pc to 5 pc on spare parts; Others: Lower duties expected on solar equipment, POS devices, cosmetics, animal feed and selected imported goods.
