The National Board of Revenue has reduced the import duties on onion and sugar in an effort to bring the prices of the items to a stable state.

It brought down import duty on onion to 5 per cent from 10 per cent, and regulatory duty on sugar to 20 per cent from 30 per cent, said two separate NBR gazettes issued on Thursday.

The reduction came three days after the Ministry of Commerce had requested NBR to withdraw duties on onion, and reduce the same on crude soyabean and palm oil, and sugar amid a rise in the prices of the items. 

However, the new duty rate for onion and sugar will remain effective till December 31 this year, and February 28 next year respectively, according to the gazettes.