The State Government has increased the prices of liquor on Friday by revising the trade margin and excise/countervailing duty on Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) other than wine, beer and ready to drink varieties.
The actual prices of liquor at the consumer-end, maximum retail price in the licensed outlets, would be decided by the Andhra Pradesh Beverages Corporation Limited (APBCL) by Saturday morning by calculating the impact of revised trade margin and excise/countervailing duty. The government decision is likely to rake in about Rs. 1,500 crore in the remaining period of the excise year. The revised trade margin varies from 28 per cent to 37 pc on the basic prices of liquor cases up to Rs. 1,000. However, it would be a minimum of Rs. 1,055 per case costing above Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 2,000 and Rs. 1,550 per case costing about Rs. 2,000.
Besides, the increase in liquor prices on account of revised excise/countervailing duty varies from a minimum of Rs. 47 to Rs. 100 per proof litre (1.68 litres).
Consequent to the revision in trade margin and excise/countervailing duty there would be certain difference in the issue price and special margin of the stocks in the IMFL depots of APBCL and the stocks in transit as on Friday, Principal Secretary Asutosh Mishra stated.
In order to avoid dual pricing of IMFL during the transition it has been directed that the difference between the revised and pre-revised issue price and special margin would be levied and collected from the licensees.
The government has been on a spree of taxation measures to improve its revenue in the recent months in different forms including increasing the power tariff, bus fares and others.
