BJP opposes move to levy cess on income tax payers

New Delhi, May 27 (UNI) Renewing its demand for the government to change its taxation policy on petroleum goods, the BJP today opposed any move to impose cess on income tax payers to offset the losses suffered by the oil public sectors in view of the rising petroleum prices in the international market.

BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said the international prices may have crossed US 130 dollar a barrel of crude but it was also a fact that the consumer was paying Rs 50 a litre which should cost around Rs 36 after the costs incurred on refining and transport and the taxes imposed by the Centre and the state governments. The Centre should work out the policy of duty neutralisation, he said.

On the proposal to levy a cess on IT payers as heard in the corridors of power, Mr Javadekar said it was not a correct move because any hike will have to be borne by the users of petroleum products and not the citizen paying income taxes.

Asked if the BJP led NDA made any effort to rationalise tax structure when it was in power at the Centre for six years, Mr Javadekar reminded that the previous government had reduced import duty by 2.5 per cent.

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