Poultry farmers have demanded tax waiver till 2021 to save the sector and turn the prime minister’s pledge for ensuring “nutrition for all” into reality.
The demand was made at a mega rally of poultry farmers that filed into it from 16 districts, including Dhaka.
Bangladesh Poultry Industries Coordination Committee (BPICC) in Comilla hosted the really yesterday.
The poultry farmers claimed that they were facing serious setback with incurring losses due to price hike of eggs and chicks.
They also highlighted a number of problems, which they are now facing, like non-availability of avian influenza vaccine in the country, hostage to some foreign firms, threat of bird flue breakout in neighbouring country and extortion.
They said production needs to be doubled along with increased investment in the poultry sector for materialising the PM’s announcement.
BPICC Convener Mashiur Rahman said the withdrawal of tax exemption for the poultry industries has hit the sector hard in the current fiscal year.
In FY16, the government raised tax from existing zero to 10% on income of poultry industry, 3% to 10% on income of poultry feed, zero to 5% on importing essential raw materials for producing poultry feeds and imposed 10% tax on hatchery (duck-hen).
“Not only this, but Advanced Income Tax and VAT have also been slapped. This mainly has raised the production cost manifold, which brings pain for the farmers.”
Comilla District Commissioner Hasanuzzaman Kollol said after achieving food autarchy, the premier has declared nutrition for all.
“For translating this pledge into action, egg, milk, fish and meat should be made cheaper for bringing within the purchase capacity of commoners.”