Computer import duty may go

The government is likely to waive duties on the import of computers and computer accessories, in the budget for fiscal 2009-2010.In a meeting with the members of Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS), National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Nasiruddin Ahmed yesterday assured ICT leaders of removing the existing 3 percent duty on computer imports."The NBR chairman assured us that the duty structure would be brought down to zero from whatever exists now," Mustafa Jabbar, president of BCS, told The Daily Star.If the new duty structure gets through, computer technology may be extended to more people, as prices are likely to fall by 7 percent. Every year, businessmen import more than 1.5 lakh computers from the global market. The selling price in the market now ranges from Tk 18,000 to Tk 1.5 lakh, depending on the brand and configuration.In the 2007-08 budget, duty on computer imports was 5 percent, which was then reduced to 3 percent in the current budget. However, the market did not witness a substantial change in prices due to duty cuts. This time, the market price may not experience a deep fall even if there is zero duty on computer imports in the upcoming budget, said the BCS president. "The price fall will be minimal.""The government's willingness to make the technology available at affordable prices will help the informational and communication technology-based industries to go forward," said Jabbar.