The Government in the forthcoming Budget is expected to address the inverted duty structure, under which finished goods are taxed at lower rates than the raw material, so as to boost the manufacturing sector.
The Commerce and Industry Ministry in its pre-Budget recommendations will ask the Finance Minister to remove this anomaly as it is impacting domestic manufacturers adversely, sources said.
“The ministry has already started consultations to deal with the matter as it will help in boosting the manufacturing sector in the country,” said a source.
Inverted duty structure impacts the domestic industry adversely as a manufacturers have to pay a higher price for raw material in terms of duty, while the finished product lands at lower duty and costs low.
A Ficci survey recently said that the inverted duty structure is making Indian manufactured goods uncompetitive against finished product imports in the domestic market.
It has pointed out that nine manufacturing sectors have reported duty inversion, which include aluminium products, capital goods, cement, chemicals, electronics, paper, steel, textiles and tyres.
Further, concessions given by India under free trade agreements (FTAs) to its partner countries has also resulted in inverted duty structure that makes Indian manufactured goods (those dependent on imported raw materials) uncompetitive in domestic market.