Popular tax reductions in Asom budget

Guwahati, July 10 (UNI) Asom government today presented a deficit yet populist budget with a slew of tax reductions.

The Congress-led Asom government today emphasised on better health care, tax collection and infrastructural development while presenting a deficit budget of Rs 1995.48 crore.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi presented the budget, giving priority to health, social welfare and education.

The health sector got the maximum boost with an allocation of Rs 348 crore followed by social welfare with Rs 289 crore.

As Asom is a malaria-prone area, taxes have been reduced on medicines, especially the malarial drugs and mosquito nets.

The government has also reduced entry tax on machineries used in Small Scale Industrial (SSI) units to a nominal rate of 0.25 per cent from the existing one per cent while all bamboo based industries have been exempted from entry tax and VAT.

MORE UNI MT PP SP RL DS1524