----------------------------------------------------- Do GOACAN a favour, circulate this email to your family members, relatives, neighbours and friends. Help other CONSUMERS to be better informed. ---------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------- GOACAN welcomes withdrawal of Cess levied on LPG by Goa Govt. - Cylinder refill to cost Goan consumer Rs.336/- -------------------------------------------------------------- The Goa Civic and Consumer Action Network (GOACAN) has welcomed the decision of the Government of Goa to withdraw the Rural Welfare Cess levied on Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) entering the State of Goa and for which charges were being collected on a per tonne basis at the border check post for the State of Goa. This decision which directly will result in a reduction of Rs. 4/- in the cost of the domestic LPG cylinder comes in the backdrop of the Petrol and Diesel price hike announced by Shri Pranab Mukherjee, the Union Finance Minister in his Budget speech. GOACAN had in a memo dated 15th September 2009 petitioned the Chief Minister of Goa Mr. Digambar Kamat who also holds the Finance Portfolio to reconsider the levy of Cess on LPG. Various Consumer Forums who had received a large amount of complaints with regards to this price hike had petitioned Mr. Jose Phillip D’souza, Minister for Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs to take up the withdrawal of cess with Finance Department. The former Director of Transport, Shri Arvind D. Loliyekar vide notification 5/4/2000-Tpt/2008/414 dated 28th January 2010 had exempted Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) for domestic and commercial use in Serial No.13A of Schedule I of the Goa Rural Improvement and Welfare Cess Act 2000 which has now come into force upon publication in the Official Gazette Series I, No. 48 dated 25th February 2010. The implication of such Cess collection had resulted in a financial burden on the Goan consumer with the cost of the domestic LPG Cylinder being hiked by Rs. 4/- for a refill weighing 14.2 kg. The price increase on every LPG cylinder had directly impacted over 3 lakh LPG consumers being provided services by Hindustan Petroleum, Bharat Petroleum and India Oil Corporation. GOACAN had stated that as diesel and petrol had been exempted from this Cess collection, it would have been appropriate for the Govt. of Goa not to burden the Goan consumer with such a collection of Cess on an important essential commodity like LPG. It may be noted that from 9th September the cost of domestic LPG cylinders which was Rs. 335.97 was increased to Rs. 339.66 by the Petroleum Companies based on a notification issued in the Official Gazette by the Directorate of Transport. The Notification with the relevant exemptions was based on the proposal to collect the said Rural Welfare Cess prepared by the Finance Dept. of the Govt. of Goa. Accordingly, the Petroleum Companies had issued directives to the LPG dealers to sell the domestic Gas Cylinder at a price of Rs. 339.66. Meanwhile GOACAN will take up the matter of price reduction with the Department of Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs and the concerned Petroleum Companies so that the appropriate notices are issued to all the LPG dealers on the new price for the domestic LPG cylinder with immediate effect. ---------------------------------------------------------- GOA CIVIC AND CONSUMER ACTION NETWORK ---------------------------------------------------------- promoting civic and consumer rights in Goa ---------------------------------------------------------- GOACAN Post Box 187 Margao, Goa 403 601 GOACAN Post Box 78 Mapusa, Goa 403 507 mail: [email protected] Visit: http://goacan.blogspot.com ----------------------------------------------------------
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