Rice export to Bangladesh has stopped this month, according to U Tun Thar Sein, Deputy Director of the Maungtaw Border Trade branch.
Each bag of rice imported from Myanmar charge Tk 150 tax at Maungtaw gate in previous time. But, Bangladesh has increased tax up to Tk 500. As a result, rice-traders in Myanmar stopped rice exports to Bangladesh via Maungtaw border pass.
“The tax charges are high and tax-rates do not decrease since June. As tax increased, the domestic rice prices also rise up. Consequently, rice export falls down because of no benefit for rice traders. In this November, there is no rice export at all,” U Tun Thar Sein told DMG News.
But, new rice production has been starting in Myanmar. Hopefully, it can make rice prices fall. At the same time, if Bangladesh cut tax, Myanmar traders will get chance to export rice again, he continued.
In 2017-2018 Budget year, Myanmar has exported 26,000 tons of rice to Bangladesh. In 2018 mini-budget, from April to September, Myanmar exported 4,200 tons of rice to Bangladesh. However, starting month of 2018-2019 budget year in October, Myanmar exported only 20 tons of rice to Bangladesh, according to the Maungtaw Border Trade branch office.
