New Delhi, February 1: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her second budget today and smashed the record for the longest budget speech (in terms of duration). Among the other major announcements which were eagerly awaited, people were keen to know the status of duty-free liquor or alcohol. Budget 2020: From Skimmed Milk to Alcohol and Footwear to Medical Equipment, List of Commodities That Got Cheaper and Costlier.
It was widely expected that the limit of duty-free alcohol at airports, which is currently two bottles, would be increased. However, the government left it untouched and the limit remains two bottles. Union Budget 2020-21: Nirmala Sitharaman Estimates Nominal GDP Growth for FY 20-21 at 10%, Fiscal Deficit at 3.8%.
As per the current limit, two bottles of duty-free liquor are permissible at Indian Airports. Before the budget announcement, speculation was rife over the increase in duty-free alcohol limit. However, that was not to be and the government left it unchanged. Budget 2020: Full Text of Nirmala Sitharaman's Speech in Hindi And English, Download PDF Here.
It was reported that the Commerce Ministry wanted the cap on inbound overseas travelers to 1 litre of imported duty-free liquor. While alcohol limit has remained unchanged, the limit on a carton of cigarettes has also not been changed.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 01, 2020 05:06 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).