Offloading imported rice at Hili port begins

Importers have started unloading rice from the trucks stuck at Hili port in Dinajpur from Tuesday noon after the reduction of duty on rice import.

Haroon-ur-Rashid, President of Hili Land Port Import and Export Group, confirmed the fact and said the government reduced the duty from 25 per cent to 5 per cent on August 28.

The president also said the government allowed the import of rice by setting a regulatory duty of 25 per cent from July 23. Since then importers started importing rice from India through the Hili land port.

“Importers were slow to unload rice due to the sudden rise in dollar value and domestic transport costs. Thus, until last Monday, 12,240 tonnes of imported rice in 306 Indian trucks were stuck at the port,” he said.

The importers of Hili land port said that if this rice is supplied to the market, the price of rice in the domestic market will decrease by Tk 5-7 per kg.

According to them, the price of Swarna-5 rice may come down from Tk 52 per kg to Tk 47 and the Katari Bhog of Tk 70 may come down to Tk 63 per kg.

Sohrab Hossain, public relations officer of Panama Hili Port said, importers, exporters, C&F agents and all port users receive all kinds of assistance from the port administration.

“The importers have started unloading rice and we have offered our support for the speedy clearance of the goods,” he said.