Various taxes on 47 essential food items removed

1 August 2017 05:39 pm Views - 6654

The government has decided to remove various taxes imposed on 47 essential food items including rice, sugar, potatoes and big onions and to impose a special commodity tax to provide relief to the consumers.

The decision was taken at the Cabinet Sub-Committee on cost of living that was convened on Monday.

It was decided to distribute a pack of essential food items worth Rs.5, 000 to the drought affected people for the next 2 months on the instructions of the President.

It was also decided to reduce the five rupee special commodity tax on imported rice to 25 cents to be effective till December 31 2017.

The tax imposed on a kilo of wet fish has been reduced by Rs. 50.

Meanwhile, the import custom duty on maize used in the poultry industry has been removed and a new special tax of Rs 10 per kg has been introduced.

The cess tax imposed on a kilo of imported milk powder has been reduced by Rs. 10 while a kilo of wheat has been reduced from Rs. 9 to Rs. 6.