Staff Reporter :
In an effort to control the soaring prices of dates, a staple item for iftar during the upcoming holy month of Ramadan, the government has issued a notice fixing the prices of various grades of dates.
The Commerce Ministry, in a notice on Monday, announced that the price of low-grade dates has been set at Tk 150 to Tk 165 per kilogramme (kg), while the widely-consumed Zahidi dates will be priced between Tk 170 and Tk 180 per kg.
This move comes in response to the escalating prices of dates in the market, with general grades currently being sold at Tk 280 to Tk 450 per kg in Dhaka.
According to market price data collected by the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), this represents a 22 percent increase year-on-year.
The fixation of prices is particularly timely as it precedes the beginning of the fasting month of Ramadan.
It is estimated that half of the 100,000 tonnes of dates consumed in Bangladesh through imports occur during this holy month, according to the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission.
To further address the situation, the National Board of Revenue had previously reduced the import duty on dates from 25 percent to 15 percent in early February.
The intention behind this move was to encourage traders to lower prices, making it more affordable for consumers.
However, despite this measure, prices continued to rise as demand surged in anticipation of Ramadan.
The new duty rates for the import of dates have already taken effect and will remain in force until March 30.
The government aims to ensure that consumers have access to dates at reasonable prices during the holy month, a time when the demand for this traditional iftar item is significantly high.
The retail prices in Dhaka have witnessed a 4 percent increase in general grades of dates over the last month, as per TCB data.
