Anti-cancer and HIV drugs likely to be exempted from duty in coming budget

ALL anti-cancer and HIV drugs are likely to become cheaper as the forthcoming budget is likely to fully exempt these from customs duty/countervailing duty (CVD), but on the condition that the benefits are passed on to patients. Also, the finance ministry is understood to be considering hiking the weighted deduction on expenditure on research and development by drug companies to 200% from 150% and also extending the benefit by five years to March 2017.