Bubble-breaker

NEW DELHI: Assocham on Monday sought removal of special excise duty on aerated soft drinks, saying it would provide a level playing field to the industry vis-a-vis other food beverages.
“Aerated soft drinks suffer a highest excise duty of 32% against a mere 16% for other food items. This was resulting in massive production of spurious products or even look-alike in unhygienic and non-licenced manufacturing units, which evade taxes or pay no duties,� the chamber said in a release.
The government has already removed large number of items from SED including cosmetics, toilet preparations and white cement. Stating that there is a misconception that aerated waters are luxury items, it said more than 90% of its consumption is by lower-middle class and middle class income groups.