Kerala rules out reducing tax for petroleum products

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 28 (UNI) Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Issac today categorically stated that the State Government will not reduce the sales tax on petroleum products.

''The Central Government should not think that we will take the burden everytime it hikes petrol prices,'' the Minister told the State Assembly, while replying to a Calling Attention Motion by Mr K Kunhiraman of the CPI(M).

He said the sales tax collected by the State through sale of petroleum products was much less than the Central Excise duty.

''So, we are not going to reduce the sales tax,'' he added.

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