Date:03/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/03/stories/2008090358071400.htm

National

Duty exemption for flood relief material: Centre

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Having declared the Bihar flood situation as a “national calamity”, the Government on Tuesday accorded full duty exemption on all relief material being supplied to the State for the affected districts with immediate effect.

Apart from pledging financial assistance, the government has decided to provide further relief by fully exempting from basic customs duty and additional duty of customs, goods imported for donation for the relief and rehabilitation of the flood-affected people . Since exemption is being provided from basic customs duty and additional duty of customs and such goods would be automatically exempt from the four per cent countervailing duty, an official statement here said.

Goods donated or purchased out of cash donations have also been exempted from the basic excise duty.

These exemptionswould be valid till February 28, 2009, the statement said.