The Hindu Business Line : Excise duty on two-wheelers and small cars reduced

The manufacturing sector is the backbone of any economy. It is consumption that drives production and it is production that drives investment. Having carefully studied current trends of production and consumption, I believe there is a need to give a stimulus to the manufacturing sector. Hence, I propose to reduce the general CENVAT rate on all goods from 16 per cent to 14 per cent.

I have looked at specific sectors where growth is flagging. These sectors are important because they are growth and employment drivers. Some of them also have large externalities. Therefore, I propose to:

Excise on all goods produced in the pharmaceutical sector reduced to 8 per cent.

• reduce the excise duty on all goods produced in the pharmaceutical sector from 16 per cent to 8 per cent;

• reduce the excise duty on buses and their chassis from 16 per cent to 12 per cent;

• reduce the excise duty on small cars from 16 per cent to 12 per cent and on hybrid cars from 24 per cent to the general revised rate of 14 per cent;

• reduce the excise duty on two wheelers and three wheelers from 16 per cent to 12 per cent; and

• reduce the excise duty on paper, paper board and articles made there from manufactured out of non-conventional raw materials by units not having an attached bamboo/wood pulp making plant from 12 per cent to 8 per cent with a further reduction on clearances up to 3,500 MT from 8 per cent to nil. Furthermore, excise duty on certain varieties of writing, printing and packing paper will be reduced from 12 per cent to 8 per cent.

There are a number of products which are goods of mass consumption. There is also the need to have tax parity on similar goods. Taking into account requests from a number of industries, I propose to reduce the excise duty from 16 per cent to nil on a few items including composting machines, wireless data cards, packaged coconut water, tea and coffee mixes, and puffed rice.

Further, I propose to reduce the excise duty from 16 per cent to 8 per cent on a few items including water purification devices, veneers and flush doors, sterile dressing pads, specified packaging material, and breakfast cereals.

I propose to totally exempt from excise duty the anti AIDS drug, Atazanavir, as well as bulk drugs for its manufacture. To further encourage cold chain facilities, I propose to exempt from excise duty, on end-use basis, refrigeration equipment (consisting of compressor, condenser units, evaporator etc) above 2 TR (tonne refrigeration) utilising power of 50 KW and above. I propose to bring parity in the excise duty rates on bulk cement and packaged cement. Accordingly, bulk cement will now attract excise duty of Rs 400 per tonne or 14 per cent ad valorem, whichever is higher. Cement clinkers will be liable to excise duty of Rs 450 per tonne.

Similarly, I propose to increase the excise duty on packaged software from 8 per cent to 12 per cent to bring it on par with customised software which will attract a service tax of 12 per cent.

Non-filter cigarettes are more toxic than filter cigarettes, yet they enjoy a favourable tax regime, which is iniquitous. I propose to tax both filter and non-filter cigarettes on par by applying - as Honourable Members may have guessed - the higher rates.

In order to remove a source of misinformation, I propose to abolish the ad valorem part of the excise duty on unbranded petrol and unbranded diesel and replace the same by an equivalent specific duty of Rs 1.35 per litre. Henceforth, there will be only a specific duty of Rs 14.35 per litre on unbranded petrol and Rs 4.60 per litre on unbranded diesel. There will be no impact on retail prices.

An excise duty of one per cent called NCCD is now imposed on polyester filament yarn, which is the only yarn suffering this excise duty. I propose to remove that duty and shift the levy to cellular mobile phones.

More Stories on : Automobiles | Budget | Pharmaceuticals

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page