Sales Tax on ATF should be lowered: Patel

New Delhi, Dec 4 (UNI) Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel today called for lower sales tax to offset the continous rise in the air turbine fuel (ATF) prices which is affecting the aviation sector.

''The hike in ATF prices is affecting the aviation sector.

Service tax should be lowered to protect the sector,'' Mr Patel told reporters on the sidelines of the three-day India Economic Summit jointly organised by the World Economic Forum and CII.

Airline carriers like Air India, Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines recently decided to levy extra charges on account of the rising fuel prices.

On December 1, state-run oil companies had increased Air Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices by 14 per cent as international crude prices exceeded 100 dollars a barrel.

UNI