Cigarettes, tobacco products to become costlier

Access to clean energy to become cheaper

Tobacco products, including bidis, will become costlier.

Smokers and tobacco consumers will have to shell out more for their indulgence as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley continued with the crackdown on these products by increasing taxes in the Budget for 2017-18.

The Minister, however, made an attempt to make it more affordable for clean energy sources by cutting duties on solar tempered glass, fuel cell based power generating systems and wind operated energy generator.

Items that will be costlier:

1. Cigarettes, pan masala, cigar, cheroots, bidis, chewing tobacco
2. LED lamp components
3. Cashew nuts (roasted and salted)
4. Aluminum ores and concentrates
5. Polymer coated MS tapes used in the manufacturing of optical fibres
6. Silver coins and medallions
7. Printed circuit board used in making mobile phones

Items that will be cheaper:

1. Online purchase of railway tickets
2. RO membrane elements for household usage
3. LNG
4. Solar tempered glass used in solar panels
5. Fuel cell based power generating systems
6. Wind operated energy generator
7. Vegetable tanning extracts used in making leather products
8. POS machines and fingerprint readers
9. Group insurance for defence services.

(With inputs from PTI)