FinMin rules out Covid-19 vaccination cess, but not averse to charging rich

There was speculation that a one-time special Covid-19 cess would be imposed and that it would raise an estimated Rs 18,000 crore

The finance ministry has ruled out a cess for raising funds for the expenditure on vaccination against Covid-19, but is not averse to charging the upper-middle to ultra-rich sections of society for it.

On making it a payable service, the ministry will go by the health ministry’s viewpoint, said a key finance ministry official.

“I would say you and I should pay when it comes to us. But that is for the health ministry to decide; we will go by what it says. If it asks us to make it free, we will do that,” the official said.

There was speculation that a