Liquor prices in Punjab to go up from April
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Excise policy for 2020-21
The Council of Ministers led by CM Capt Amarinder Singh on Friday approved the state Excise Policy for 2020-21, with an increase in excise duty at retail – Rs 5 for country-made liquor (called Punjab Medium Liquor or PML), Rs 4 for IMFL and Rs 2 for beer.
Ruchika M Khanna
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 31
Prices of country-made liquor, Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and beer in Punjab are set to increase from April 1, with the state government today announcing an increase in excise duty at retail and wholesale stages.
The Council of Ministers led by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today approved the state Excise Policy for the next financial year (2020-21), with an increase in excise duty at retail – Rs 5 for country-made liquor (called Punjab Medium Liquor or PML), Rs 4 for IMFL and Rs 2 for beer. This additional duty will increase the base price that the government sets for all categories of liquor and the liquor licencees are at liberty to increase the retail price to a maximum of 12.5 per cent of this base price. As a result, the country-made liquor prices are expected to increase by Rs 10, IMFL by Rs 5-10 and a nominal increase of Rs 5 per bottle of beer. At the wholesale stage too, the excise duty of the IMFL has been increased by 5 per cent, and for beer by Rs 62-Rs 68 per bulk litre.
Also on the cards is the setting up of an online platform for home delivery of liquor in Mohali. It will be started in consultation with all retail licencees in the district.
There has been no increase in the quota of the PML and beer that the traders are expected to sell in the next fiscal year. However, in case the traders want to sell over and above the quota of the PML and beer allotted to them, they will have to pay an additional fixed licence fee (which has been increased from Rs 120 crore to Rs 385 crore). A 2-per cent increase in quota of the IMFL has been approved. The move of not increasing the quota is being seen by many in liquor trade as a welcome step to control alleged liquor smuggling from the distilleries.
The policy is trade-friendly and meant to boost the excise duty collection to Rs 6250 crore by March next year, Vivek Pratap Singh, Commissioner, Excise and Taxation, told The Tribune.
