Page 7 - Excise Duty

Customs, excise mop-up likely to see Rs 1-trillion shortfall in FY23

Duty cuts on edible oil, petro products to blame; may not hit overall collection

Sisodia leaves CBI HQ after 9-hr questioning,claims 'was asked to quit AAP'

The CBI on Monday questioned Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the Delhi excise scam case for over nine hours, officials said. Sisodia had arrived at the agency's headquarters around 11.15 am and was taken straight to the first floor of the anti-corruption branch, they said. The deputy chief minister was grilled for over nine hours on various aspects of the Delhi government's excise policy, his relations with other accused, including businessman Vijay Nair, and documents recovered during searches in the case, the officials said. The CBI has also questioned Raghava Reddy, the son of YSRCP Lok Sabha MP Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, in the case, they said.

Excise policy scam: CBI summons Manish Sisodia for questioning on Monday

The CBI has summoned Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday for questioning in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the excise policy for the national capital, officials said. The federal probe agency has asked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader to appear before it at its headquarters at 11 am on Monday, they added. In a tweet on Sunday, Sisodia said: "CBI raid was conducted at my house for 14 hours, nothing came out. Searched my bank locker, nothing came out in it. They did not find anything in my village. Now they have called me to CBI Headquarters at 11 am tomorrow. I will go and give my full cooperation. Satyameva Jayate." The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has questioned a number of people, including Sameer Mahendru, the owner of Indo Spirits, Amit Arora, the director of Buddy Retail Private Limited in Gurugram, and India Ahead News managing director Mootha Gautam, in connection with the case, the officials said. The ..

Over 5,500 litres of smuggled illicit liquor destroyed: Delhi excise dept

The Excise department of Delhi government on Saturday destroyed 5,516 litres of smuggled illicit liquor seized by its enforcement teams in recent months, officials said. According to the Excise department, 3,267 litres of illicit liquor was destroyed in Mayur Vihar, 1,285 litres in Sarita Vihar and 964 litres in Tilak Nagar. A large number of liquor bottles were spread on concrete stretches and a road roller was used to crush them, they said. "Seizure of liquor smuggled into Delhi and its destruction is a routine exercise," said a senior Excise department official. The enforcement activity by the department will pick up further once Delhi Police personnel are deputed at its Excise Intelligence Bureau (EIB), officials said. Thirty nine police personnel deployed at EIB were repatriated to Delhi Police in August. The move came on the heels of a CBI probe recommended by the LG VK Saxena into alleged irregularities in implementation of now scrapped Excise Policy 2021-22. Among the ...

Delhi Excise policy case: ED raids 25 new locations in national capital

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday raided at least 25 locations in the national capital as part of its ongoing money laundering investigation into the now-scrapped Delhi Excise policy, officials said. The premises covered under the search operation belong to private entities linked to liquor dealership and distributorship, they said. The federal agency has conducted multiple raids in this case till now and had also arrested Sameer Mahandru, a liquor businessman and managing director of liquor manufacturing company Indospirit, last month in the case. The money laundering case stems from a CBI FIR that had named Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia as an accused among others. The scheme came under the scanner after the Delhi LG recommended a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the implementation of Delhi's Excise Policy 2021-22. He had also suspended 11 excise officials in the matter.

Delhi's new excise policy likely to be delayed as committee seeks more time

The Delhi government's new excise policy (2022-23) is likely to be delayed as a high-level committee formed to frame its broad outlines has sought more time to submit its report, officials have said. The committee constituted in August includes principal secretary finance, principal secretary revenue, excise commissioner and an expert member. The Excise Policy 2021-22 was withdrawn in July by the Delhi government after a CBI probe was recommended by Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena into alleged irregularities in its implementation. Announcing the withdrawal of the Excise Policy 2021-22, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said a new policy will be framed within six months. The committee formed to give recommendations for the excise policy 2022-23 was stipulated to submit its report within one month. However, it could not do so due to various reasons including the ongoing CBI probe into the excise policy 2021-22, the officials said. "The committee has asked the government for m

Taxes to come to govt's aid, achieve 6.4% fiscal deficit goal for FY23

Centre has already collected half the targeted revenue in the first six months of the current financial year even as customs and excise duty collection figures are yet to come in

ED conducts fresh raids at 35 locations in Delhi excise policy case

The ED on Friday launched fresh raids in connection with its money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy, official sources said. The searches are being carried out at about 35 locations in Delhi, Punjab and some places in Hyderabad, they said. Some liquor distributors, companies and linked entities are being searched, the sources said. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has conducted more than 103 raids in this case till now and had also arrested Sameer Mahandru, a liquor businessman and managing director of liquor manufacturing company Indospirit last month in the case. The money laundering case stems from a CBI FIR. The liquor scheme came under the scanner after the Delhi LG recommended a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the implementation of Delhi's Excise Policy 2021-22. He had also suspended 11 excise officials in the matter.

Delhi govt earns Rs 768 crore revenue in one month under old excise policy

The Delhi government earned a revenue of Rs 768 crore in one month under the old excise policy regime implemented from September 1, officials said on Friday. The government had reverted back to old excise regime from September 1, withdrawing its new policy (2021-22) implemented from November 17, 2021. The Excise Policy 2021-22 was withdrawn by the Delhi government after Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena had in July this year recommended a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in its implementation. "Under the existing policy implemented from September 1, a revenue of Rs 768 crore has been earned including Rs 460 crore as excise duty and an estimated amount of Rs 140 crore as VAT," a senior Delhi government officer said. Under the existing policy, four corporations of Delhi government -- DTTDC, DSIIDC, DSCSC, DCCWS -- have opened retail vends across the city. The September month profit of the four corporations was Rs 40 crore, the officer said. So far, the four corporations have open

Delhi Excise policy case: ED arrests businessman Sameer Mahendru

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested businessman Sameer Mahendru, one of the prime accused in Delhi's excise scam case involving Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia

In fresh attack over excise case, BJP links liquor trader with Kejriwal

The BJP on Tuesday claimed that a person close to AAP leadership was awarded liquor contract under its now-withdrawn excise policy, as it launched a fresh attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over the alleged excise row. During a press conference, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia showed a picture of one Karamjeet Singh Lamba with Kejriwal and AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj, and said he was not only a partner in Universal Distributors that was awarded liquor contract but he also contested a local body polls on AAP ticket. Kejriwal should explain why his government distributed "revdi" (freebies) of corruption to people close to him and his party, Bhatia said. He alleged that the Delhi government flouted rules and did not maintain transparency in awarding the liquor contracts. There was no immediate reaction from Lamba. The AAP has asserted that the allegations of corruption in framing the excise policy, now being probed by the CBI, was the BJP's political vendetta as it was rattl

Disclosing end-use of goods must while claiming concessional import duties

Move aimed at enabling tracking of goods to ensure they don't end up in replacement market

Windfall profit taxes are pure economic populism and thus bad policy

Germany's government just became the latest to ingratiate itself with angry voters by promising a windfall tax on energy companies

Delhi govt to open 500 liquor stores as old excise duty policy returns

Under the Excise Policy-2021, Delhi government withdrew itself from the liquor sale business and allowed the issuance of L-1 licences for 849 private retail liquor vendors through open bidding.

What changes can consumers expect in Delhi after change in liquor policy?

From September 1, private liquor vendors in New Delhi and the national capital region (NCR) will shut down their stores and state government will regain control

300 liquor stores, 4 microbreweries: Host of changes for tipplers in Delhi

Delhi is set to return to the old liquor excise policy regime, which includes opening 300 new liquor shops, and four microbreweries in the city

Why states are unwilling to take lessons from Delhi liquor excise saga

The controversy in Delhi reflects the enduring importance of this revenue source for state exchequers

Diesel export falls 11%, petrol 4.5% in July on levy of windfall profit tax

India's diesel exports fell by 11 per cent in July and overseas shipment of petrol dropped by 4.5 per cent after the government slapped a windfall profit tax on such sales, official data showed. Diesel exports dropped to 2.18 million tonnes in July from 2.45 million tonnes a month back, data from the Oil Ministry's Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) showed. Similarly, petrol exports fell to 1.1 million tonnes from 1.16 million tonnes in June. India first imposed windfall profit taxes on July 1, joining a growing number of nations that taxes super normal profits of energy companies. Export duties of Rs 6 per litre were levied on petrol and aviation turbine fuel and Rs 13 a litre on diesel. The duties were partially adjusted in three rounds on July 20, August 2 and August 19, and have now been removed for petrol, with Rs 7 per litre and Rs 2 per litre remaining for diesel and ATF, respectively. The export levies helped ease the strain on domestic fuel supply. The levies wer

Providing HSN code responsibility of bidder, not tendering authority: SC

Apex court says it is the bidders' responsibility to find out the relevant HSN code

AAP ignored excise policy violations, expert committee recommendations: BJP

The BJP on Tuesday stepped up attack on the AAP, claiming its government in Delhi ignored the violations of the excise policy and recommendations of an expert committee. According to the Delhi Excise Policy, producers, retailers and distributors of liquor cannot be the same. Also, there cannot be common directors or shareholders, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said. On October 25, 2021, the Delhi excise department had brought some cases of common producers, retailers and distributors to the notice of the government, but it did not act on it, he claimed. BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma said an expert committee had suggested against promotions to push liquor sales but the Delhi govt started giving a carton free on every carton sold. The committee had suggested to follow the Karnataka model wherein the government is responsible for wholesale business. The panel said no individual can be given more than one license. It had also recommended against opening liquor vends in non-conforming are