Parliament accepts Import Export Act amendments bill

The parliament has accepted the government bill proposing amendments to the Import Export Act.

The bill submitted to the parliament by Vilufushi MP Riyaz Rasheed, proposes to increase import tax on some commodities. The bill was accepted by 26 votes in favour. It was voted against by 25 MPs.

Presenting the bill, Riyaz Rasheed said that the purpose of the bill is to change the import duty levied on imported goods under the Import Export Act, taking into consideration the recent changes in dollar price and commodity prices in the world market.

The bill proposes to impose MVR 1 on every 3 grams of flavoured areca nuts, MVR 10 on every litre of beer, and MVR 80 on every litre of other types of alcohol.

It also proposes to increase import duty on drinking water and soft drinks by 15 percent, to increase import duty on energy drinks by 100 percent, to increase import duty per cigarette to MVR 1, to increase import duty per cigar and cigarillo to MVR 1.20, to increase import duty on cement to five percent, and to impose 20 percent on perfume.