Poultry leaders seek PMs intervention to keep egg, chicken prices affordable
The production cost of egg, chicken meat, poultry feed and day-old-chicks has increased due to removal of tax exemption facilities and for imposing income tax, import and customs duties and Advanced Income Tax (AIT) on raw materials import, says a press release.
In a special meeting held yesterday at the Niketan Office of the Bangladesh Poultry Industries Coordination Committee (BPICC), an apex body of seven poultry related associations, the poultry leaders expressed their deepest concerns over the imposition of taxes and duties, and expected direct interference from the prime minister and the finance minister, to save the poultry industry in Bangladesh.
They said, many farms had already been closed and another thousand of farms were on the brink shutting down due to suffering losses from the high production costs. If the situation continues price of egg and chicken may go up further after Eid-ul-Azha, poultry leaders apprehended.
They urged the prime minister to continue tax exemption at least for another 10 years, considering the demand for animal protein of 16 crore people, reducing the existing malnutrition rate and building a healthy nation.
Moshiur Rahman, convener of BPICC and president of Feed Industries Association Bangladesh (FIAB) said: We have failed to make the concerned policymakers realise about the negative consequences of sudden withdrawal of tax exemption, its impact on rural economy, employment, demand, supply, future investment and above all the negative impact on egg and chicken market.
Now at this moment, Prime Ministers interference is a must to save the industry, Rahman added.
