Not a long-term move: Letters to BS on customs duty hike in Budget 2018

The increase in customs duties will further lead to inflation, reduce marketability and cripple internal economic functioning as a whole

This refers to “Budget decision on customs duty hike to impact imports of $85 billion in a year” (February 13). Although curtailing imports to increase the revenue and reduce the outflow of foreign exchange may sound theoretically beneficial in the short term but it will not be a positive step in our long-term interest to promote a Make in India programme. Modern economies do not function in isolation. Current global trends point to overall consumer satisfaction, be it in the national or the international markets. The increase in customs duties will further lead to inflation, reduce marketability and cripple internal