Govt hikes liquor prices

BHUBANESWAR: Ahead of General Elections, Odisha Government has raised excise duties on various liquors shooting up the prices by 10 to 125 per cent.The Excise Department has revised the countervailing duty and vend fee structure applicable on certain excisable goods for the remaining part of the financial year with immediate effect.

As per the revised excise duties, the specific component price of India made whisky, gin, rum, brandy, vodka and other liquors has been hiked to Rs 400 per LPL from Rs 360 while the ad valorem component has been reduced to 45 per cent from 50 per cent.

While specific component price of ready to drink low alcoholic beverages imported from other countries (with alcohol content of above five pc but below eight pc) has been raised to Rs 55 from Rs 25 per bottle, wine imported from other countries went up to Rs 200 per LPL from Rs 100. The ad valorem component has remained 20 pc as earlier.

Similarly, the specific component price of all types of India made beer with alcohol content of above five per cent but below eight per cent has been amended to Rs 55 from Rs 50 per bottle. The ad valorem component has remained 40 pc as earlier.

The specific component price of all types of beer imported from other countries with alcoholic content upto five per cent has been increased to Rs 35 from Rs 15 and the same price of beverages having alcoholic content of above five per cent but below eight per cent shot up to Rs 55 from Rs 25 per bottle with 20 pc cost as ad valorem component.

Excise duties on FMFL, IMFL, wine and beer supplied to troops and military bodies has been revised from 65 pc to 70 pc of rate of duties applicable on corresponding/similar civil products, except rum. For rum, the applicable defence duty rate has been revised from 55 pc to 6o pc of the civil duty rate.