In early March, the Government announced import permits for up to 150 000 tonnes of rice at zero duty from any origin. The country's import tariff is set at 20 percent for husked, milled and broken rice, while it is 9 percent for imported paddy rice. The permits are set for a maximum of 10 000 tonnes per company and will be valid until 31 December 2017. The country heavily depends on imports of rice to meet its consumption requirements and the measure aims to ensure adequate domestic supplies. The Government also allowed the import of 200 000 tonnes of fresh, chilled and frozen beef at zero duty from any origin, with a maximum quota allocation of 30 000 tonnes. Tariff rates in place since June last year were 20 percent for fresh or chilled beef and 25 percent for frozen beef.