Road, infrastructure cess on fuel proposed

The budget for 2018-19 has proposed a levy of road and infrastructure cess of Rs 8 per litre on petrol and high-speed diesel oil while abolishing an additional duty of excise of Rs 6 on the same account but officials said it would have no impact on the fuel prices for the end user.

The basic excise duty on unbranded petrol was slashed by Rs 2 from Rs 6.48 per litre and on branded petrol from Rs 7.66 per litre. Similarly on unbranded diesel, the additional excise duty was brought down from Rs 8.33 per litre to Rs 6.33 per litre and on branded diesel from Rs 10.69 per litre to Rs 8.69 per litre.

The 5 per cent road and infrastructure cess on ethanol-blended petrol up to 10 per cent and bio-diesel up to 20 per cent has been abolished.

Road and infrastructure cess on petrol and diesel manufactured in and cleared from four specified refineries in the northeast has been levied at Rs 4 per litre.

However, Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adia told a post-budget media briefing that the changes won't affect the customer. Only the devolution of cess has been changed, he said.

--IANS

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