Dhaka, June 19 -- Small-scale footwear manufacturers have urged the interim government to urgently reinstate the value-added tax (VAT) exemption on low-cost rubber and plastic shoes priced at Tk 150 or below, warning that the continuation of the current 15 percent VAT is endangering thousands of cottage industries and the livelihoods of low-income workers across the country.
Speaking at a press conference held at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity on Tuesday, leaders of the Bangladesh Footwear Manufacturers' Association (BFMA) said the abrupt policy shift is severely impacting the cottage footwear sector, once seen as a promising avenue for rural entrepreneurship and poverty alleviation.
"The removal of the VAT exemption has significantly increas...