Duty-free cigarette quota cut
At present, a passenger can bring 200 number of cigarettes, 50 cigars and 250 grams of tobacco
By : pawan bali
Update: 2015-08-20 01:25 GMT
New Delhi: The new rules have also reduced by 50 per cent the duty free allowance of cigarettes to 100 sticks, 25 cigars and 150 grams of tobacco being brought by the flyers. At present, a passenger can bring 200 number of cigarettes, 50 cigars and 250 grams of tobacco.
Passengers will also have to now declare whether they are carrying flat panel (LCD,LED or plasma) television. The finance ministry notified new rules under the Customs Baggage Declaration (Amendment) Regulations, 2015. One laptop computer (notebook computer) over and above the free allowances is also allowed duty free.
However, for passengers flying from China, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar, the limit of duty free allowance has been kept at Rs 6,000.
Interestingly in 2013, government had imposed a 36 percent duty on flat-screen televisions that travellers bring back from other countries. This was done after government estimated that passengers in 2012 had brought over a million television sets from other countries, taking advantage of a baggage allowance. TVs in countries like Bangkok were cheaper than its retail cost in India due to local taxes. Such TVs elewhe-re then sold in markets like Gaffar Market (Delhi), Alpha Market (Mumbai) and Fancy Market (Kolkata) among others.
The passengers need to mention about meat, fish, dairy and poultry products, seeds, plants, fruits, flowers, etc and aggregate value of forex exceeding $10,000 or equivalent in customs form.