LCD TVS, Mobiles, select life saving drugs cheaper, set-top box costlier

New Delhi
The Economic Times Mint

Select life saving drugs, LCD TVs, mobile phones, branded jewellery, sports and leather products, packaged software and footwear are among items that would cost less, while gold bars and coins, silver, set-top boxes and cosmetic surgery would turn costlier after the Budget.

Presenting the Union Budget for 2009-10, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday proposed reduced customs duty on life saving drugs to five percent from existing 10 percent. LCD TVs would also attract the lower five percent customs duty, making the product cheaper.

Mukherjee, however, has imposed five percent customs duty on set-top boxes used for Direct-To-Home television service.

He also announced duty sops for green energy products like bio-fuel and generators used in environment-friendly sectors by lowering customs duty to 2.5 percent and five percent, respectively, from 7.5 percent.

In a move to appease women, the minister did away with excise duty on branded jewellery from existing two percent. However, gold bars, coins and silver would become costlier as the government has proposed to increase customs duty.

Gold bars and gold coins would now attract Rs 200 per 10 gram from earlier Rs 100 while on silver, the custom duty has been increased to Rs 1,000 a kg from Rs 500.