Amendments to add frozen bread to the list of items that can be imported without duty fees have been approved by the House of Assembly on Friday.

The Customs Tariff Amendment (No 4) Act 2022 modified the tariff code to include frozen bread in the same category as fresh or chilled bread.

The change came into effect as of the Bill’s first reading, which took place on November 18.

Wayne Furbert, the Minister of Transport, said that frozen bread was intended to be included in the previous amendment, which dropped the import duty rates for a number of food items to zero in an effort to address the cost of living, but was accidentally omitted.

“Last time we used the word ‘chilled’ and we thought that was part of that category, but it was not,” he said. “There is a separation between chilled bread and frozen bread.”

The amendment received no objections, with Michael Dunkley of the OBA stating the addition made “prudent good sense”.

The Customs Tariff Amendment (No 3) Act was approved earlier this year, reducing duty rates to zero on ground beef, chicken (fresh, chilled or frozen), turkey (fresh, chilled or frozen), butter, processed cheese slices, cheddar cheese, green beans, fresh bananas, pepper, cooking oil, tuna (canned and dry packed), pasta, bread (fresh or chilled), jam, peanut butter, tomato ketchup and other tomato sauces.

Other items included in the legislation are bath soap bars, laundry detergent, dish detergent, diapers for babies, and sanitary towels (pads) and tampons.

The items had been subject to a variety of duty rates ranging from 5 per cent to 25 per cent.