BENGALURU: The budget has brought some “respite” to the Food & Beverage (F&B) Industry after Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa spared liquor and beer from any further tax hike.TNIE was the first newspaper to write in February that the government would not increase excise duty on Indian Made liquor (IML) or beer for the ensuing fiscal.The revenue target for 2021-22 from excise duty on IML and beer has been fixed at Rs 24,580 crore. The State Excise Department has collected Rs 20,900 crore till February as against the fixed target of Rs 22,700 crore.
Speaking on behalf of the distillers and brewers, Arun Kumar Parasa, president, Karnataka Brewers and Distillers Association, said, “While it’s great that the consumers have been spared the hike, the government has once again let the industry down by ignoring our demand of revision of slabs, which was last done five years back. The input costs have gone through the roof in the last five years.”