The State Government is making multi-pronged efforts to strengthen the economy of the state by ensuring financial discipline and enhancing the sources of revenue generation. In view of this, the excise policy of the state has been made more practical besides introducing some initiatives. In the financial year 2023-24, Excise Policy is expected to fetch Rs. 2800 crore as revenue to the State exchequer with an overall 40 percent jump against the expected revenue of Rs. 2357 crore.
In the last 15 years or so, the Excise Policy of the State Government has never witnessed an increase in revenue of more than 25 percent except in the year 2011-12 when 25.65 percent growth in revenue was recorded. In the last fiscal during the previous government regime renewal of liquor vends had brought Rs. 1296 crore, whereas during the current financial year auction cum tender has ensured revenue of Rs. 1815 crore which is Rs. 520 crore higher.
Chief Minister, Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the previous BJP Government’s decision to renew the liquor vends has led to huge loss to the State exchequer. Despite pressure from various quarters, the present State Government took a bold decision to auction the liquor vends and introduce new measures in the Excise Policy to increase the overall revenue. The policy decision has ensured healthy competition in auctioning the units and a transparent process was followed.
The Excise Policy for the year 2023-24 has many provisions to enhance the government revenue and to curb its smuggling from the neighbouring States. The fixed quota of country liquor has been increased by 7.5 percent and that of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) has been increased by 5 percent. The annual fixed license fee for wholesale vends has been increased to Rs. 35 lakh from Rs. 20 lakh. To encourage the licensees to lift additional quota after lifting the Minimum Guaranteed Quantity (MGQ) for the financial year.
The licensee has been allowed to lift the quota upto 10 percent of the MGQ with 80 percent of the prescribed license fee, beyond 10 percent upto 20 percent at the rate of 90 percent of prescribed license fee. All these measures will ensure that the State Government will get additional revenue. The Chief Minister said that it has been made mandatory for all the stakeholders to install CCTV Cameras at their establishments to monitor the manufacturing operation of liquor, its dispatch to wholesalers and subsequent sale to retailers.
Furthermore, the bottling of imported wine in the wineries of the State has been allowed. This step will ensure that best selling high range wine brands can easily be available to the customers, he added. The present Excise Policy also allows the L-3, L-4 and L-5 license holders to have a Mini Bar for occupants in all rooms of three Star Hotels and above. This will not only boost tourism but also be a source of additional revenue to the State. The State Government has also levied Rs. 10 per bottle ‘milk cess’ which will ensure additional revenue of Rs. 100 crore to the government and this fund will be utilized for the betterment of farmers and boost the milk production.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
