The Finance Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee has announced full exemption from basic customs duty and a concessional CVD of 1 per cent to Steam coal for a period of two years till March 31, 2014. While presenting the Union Budget 2012-13 in Lok Sabha today Shri Mukherjee also proposed full exemption from basic duty to Natural Gas and Liquified Natural Gas and Uranium concentrate, Sintered Uranium Dioxide in natural and pellet form.
The Union Finance Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee, while presenting the Union Budget for 2012-13, has proposed to extend concessional basic customs duty of 5 per cent with full exemption from excise duty/ CVD to six specified life-saving drugs/ vaccines in this year’s budget. He proposed to reduce basic customs duty on soya protein concentrate and isolated soya protein to 10 per cent from the present 30 per cent or 15 per cent respectively.
The Tonnage Tax Scheme introduced vide Finance Act 2005 provides for taxation of income of a shipping company on presumptive basis. Under this scheme, the operating profit of a shipping company is determined on the basis of tonnage capacity of its ships.
In order to further garner additional resources, the Finance Minister has proposed to enhance basic customs duties on completely built units of large cars/ Multi-Utility Vehicles/ Sports Utility Vehicles having engine capacity above prescribed threshold from 60 percent to 75 per cent ad valorem.
The Union Finance Minister ShriPranab Mukherjee today expressed firm commitment to enact the Direct Taxes Code (DTC) Bill at the earliest, after expeditious examination of the report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee. The Bill was introduced in Parliament in August 2010, and was to come into force from April 1 this year. However, the timeline could not be adhered to as the report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the matter was received only on March 9 this year.
It was a realist budget in the difficult economic and political environment. Effort was made towards fiscal consolidation, infrastructure development, revival of manufacturing sector, easing of credit facilities, direct transfer of subsidy etc. Major Tax proposals are as follows:
Presenting the Budget in the LokSabha today, the Union Finance Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee has proposed concessions and exemptions for encouraging the consumption of energy-saving devices, plant and equipment needed for solar thermal projects. The Finance Minister proposed to fully exempt a coating chemical used for compact fluorescent lamps from basic customs duty. Excise duty on LED lamps is also being reduced to 6 per cent.
The Union Budget 2012-13 proposes to increase excise duty on ‘demerit’ goods such as certain cigarettes, hand rolled bidis, pan masala, gutka, chewing tobacco, unmanufactured tobacco and zarda scented tobacco. While presenting the Budget in Parliament today, the Finance Minister Shri Mukherjee proposed to enhance cess on crude petroleum oil produced in India to Rs. 4500/- per metric tonne from Rs. 2500/- per metric tonne under the COIL Industries Development Act.
Excise duty rationalized for packaged cement, whether manufactured by mini-cement plants or others. – Levy of excise duty of 1 per cent on branded precious metal jewellery to be extended to include unbranded jewellery. Operations simplified and measures taken to minimize impact on small artisans and goldsmiths. – Branded Silver jewellery exempted from excise duty.
Presenting the General Budget 2012-13 in LokSabha here today, ShriPranab Mukherjee, Finance Minister announced various majors for mitigating shortage of housing for low income groups. The Finance Minister proposed allowing External Commercial Borrowings (ECB) for low cost affordable housing projects and setting-up of a Credit Guarantee Trust Fund to ensure improved flow of institutional credit for housing loans.
