Local edible oil refiners in Bangladesh are grappling with increased dollar prices and have requested an enhanced single borrower exposure limit to ensure a steady supply of cooking oil and stabilize its prices in the local market. The Bangladesh Vegetable Oil Refiners and Vanaspati Manufacturers Association (BVOVMA) have urged the commerce ministry to request the Bangladesh Bank (BB) to address this issue.
The refiners argue that the devaluation of the Bangladeshi Taka against the US dollar has effectively reduced the single-party exposure limit to around 50%. This devaluation, coupled with the impact of the Ukraine-Russia war, has led to a 32.2% decrease in the import of essential goods. The refiners believe that re-fixing the exposure limit based on bank-customer relationships would help normalize the import, production, and pricing of products in the market.