Harmonize Policies and Practices
- To make trade policies consistent with international standards and obligations
- To harmonize national policies and practices with international
- To simplify trade procedures targeting facilitation
Reform in 60 policies/regulations
- 11 recommendations accepted in IPO 2021-24
- 21 recommendations accepted in Export Policy 2021-24
- Tariff on Cold storage and chillers reduced from 104.68% to 37%
- Tariff on Cold Storage Freezers reduced from 104% to 1%
- National Board of Revenue (NBR)
- Ministry of Commerce (MoC)
- Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock (MoFL)
- Department of Livestock Services (DLS)
- Department of Fisheries (DoF)
- Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA)
What BTF is doing
To strengthen the legal regime of agro-trade facilitation, BTF reviews legislation and identifies loopholes, provides specific suggestions to address the gaps and recommends areas for development. BTF reviews both agency-specific and overarching legislations and presents the comprehensive reviews to the agencies for feedback. BTF is supporting the agencies with technical inputs, relevant reference materials and suggestive legal texts. In the process, BTF is engaging the private sector as well to understand on-the-field scenario.
Some of the legislations and tools that BTF is working to strengthen and streamline:
- Import Policy Order 2021-24
- Export Policy 2021-24
- Fisheries Quarantine
- Fish and Fisheries Products (Inspection and Quality Control)
- Cold Storage Establishment and Operation Regulation, 2023
- Customs Physical Inspection and Sample Management
- Livestock, Livestock Products and Livestock Production Inputs (Inspection and Quality Control)
- Food Import Regulations