Dhaka, Dec. 15 -- The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is prepared to offer "tax exemptions" on both the import and local production of mobile phones in a bid to reduce prices and bring high-end devices into formal channels, revenue authorities' chief Abdur Rahman Khan has said.

On Monday, Khan said Bangladesh imposes unusually high taxes on trade, largely to protect domestic industry rather than to maximise revenue.

"No country imposes such taxes on trade -- the amount we do. This is not done to collect taxes. Rather, in most cases, it is done for the local industry (to ensure their protection)," he said.

Khan said local manufacturers had raised concerns about potential tax cuts on imported handsets, particularly with the National Equi...