West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider exempting organizations, agencies and individuals who are supplying equipments and drugs related to management of COVID-19 pandemic from customs duty and other central taxes.
Banerjee also urged Modi to strengthen health infrastructure and augment supplies of equipment, medicines and oxygen for treatment of coronavirus-positive patients.
However, many of the donors and agencies have approached the State Government to consider exemption of these items from customs duty/SGST/CGST/lGST. As the rate structure falls under the purview of the Central Government, she requested that these items may be exempted from GST/customs duty and other such duties and taxes, to help remove supply constraints of the abovementioned life-saving drugs and equipment and contribute towards effective management of COVID pandemic.
Ms Banerjee also pointed out that everyone including State government is “trying its best to face new challenges and making all efforts to channeling resources from different sources, including ensuring availability of life saving drugs and oxygen for Covid treatment” in the event of sudden spike of COVID cases in general and also in West Bengal.
Over the past few days Chief Minister has written letters to the Prime Minister on ensuring that the medical oxygen required for the state is not diverted to other parts of the country. In a letter earlier, Banerjee requested the prime minister to allow free-of-cost vaccination against Covid-19 to all.
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