Panel seeks levying of tax on CFL
A govt panel has sought levying of tax on manufacturers and importers of power-saving compact fluorscent lamps (CFL) and tubelights to fund the recycling facilities aimed at safe disposal of hazardous mercury.
By PTI |
NEW DELHI: A government panel has sought levying of tax on manufacturers and importers of power-saving compact fluorscent lamps (CFL) and tubelights to fund the recycling facilities aimed at safe disposal of hazardous mercury spilled from the products.
"The entire lamp recycling mechanism should be funded through a tax imposed on each CFL/FTL (manufactured in the country as well as the imported lamps) to cover the charges for operationalisation of the lamp recycling mechanism at society level," a task force of the Environment Ministry has said.
It added that the Finance and Commerce ministries may be requested to devise a suitable mechanism for this purpose.
"Alternatively the manufacturers and importers can build in their prices the charges for operationalizing the lamp recycling mechanism," it said.
Headed by R H Khawaja, Additional Secretary of the Environment Ministry, the task force was constituted last year to evolve a policy for safe disposal of neuro-toxic mercury which is used as a vital component in the CFLs.
The demand for the CFLs is expected to grow many folds as the government too has been promoting it over conventional general lamps as a energy conservation method as envisaged out in the National Action Plan on Climate Change released recently by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
"The entire lamp recycling mechanism should be funded through a tax imposed on each CFL/FTL (manufactured in the country as well as the imported lamps) to cover the charges for operationalisation of the lamp recycling mechanism at society level," a task force of the Environment Ministry has said.
It added that the Finance and Commerce ministries may be requested to devise a suitable mechanism for this purpose.
"Alternatively the manufacturers and importers can build in their prices the charges for operationalizing the lamp recycling mechanism," it said.
Headed by R H Khawaja, Additional Secretary of the Environment Ministry, the task force was constituted last year to evolve a policy for safe disposal of neuro-toxic mercury which is used as a vital component in the CFLs.
The demand for the CFLs is expected to grow many folds as the government too has been promoting it over conventional general lamps as a energy conservation method as envisaged out in the National Action Plan on Climate Change released recently by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
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While the consumption of CFLs has increased at a very large growth rate, as high as 50 per cent, in 2006 while fluorescent tube lights market by 10 per cent, the mercury management practices adopted at both, the manufacturer and consumer levels in India are not adequate. Download
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