The government has allowed imports of oxygen concentrators for personal use through post, courier or e-commerce portals under the gift category amid increasing demand for oxygen due to rising COVID-19 cases, the commerce ministry said on Saturday.

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New Delhi:

The exemption for oxygen concentrators is allowed only for a period till July 31, 2021, it said.

As per the guidelines, gifts over Rs 1,000 attract Customs Duty and 28 per cent integrated GST.

An oxygen concentrator is a medical device that concentrates oxygen from ambient air. It is in high demand due to increasing COVID-19 cases in the country. These concentrators capture and filter the air, unlike oxygen cylinders which can only store a fixed amount of oxygen.

''The government has included the import of oxygen concentrators for personal use, through post, courier or e-commerce portals, in the list of exempted categories, where Customs clearance is sought as gifts,'' the ministry said.

Earlier, oxygen concentrators were not mentioned in the list. Now, it has been added on account of its high demand due to COVID-19 cases.