CIABC Seek Level Playing Field in Delhi Excise Policy

The Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Corporations (CIABC) has written to the Delhi Government asking for the removal of rules from the upcoming excise policy for 2023–2024 that they claim discriminate against products made in India and encourage imports.

The representative body of the Indian alcoholic beverage producers urged for improvement in the rules of ease of doing business, simplification of the new product launch process, and digitization of all operational processes when suggesting measures to be included in the upcoming excise policy for the following fiscal year.

"These regulatory oddities date back to a time when India was viewed as a producer of subpar goods. For example, the licence fee for an imported whisky is Rs 50,000 per year, but if the same product is produced in India, the fee will be at least Rs 25 lakh. The excise policy from November 2021 had addressed these issues, but with its withdrawal, the topic is back on the table, according to the CIABC.

"Each year, we present state governments with ideas for making alcohol regulations effective for all parties involved. Being the capital of the country, Delhi has unique needs, and we modify our recommendations to best achieve that goal, stated Vinod Giri, CIABC Director General.

The CIABC has also benefited from the opening of independent stores all throughout the city, the reopening of airport stores, the lowering of the drinking age to 21, and the synchronisation of retail hours and the number of dry days with neighbouring states.

Along with solutions for the upcoming excise policy, the CIABC requested in its letter a decision on its request for authorization to sell stocks that were left over at wholesale due to frequent changes in the excise policy in 2021–22 and 2022–23, as well as the clearing of previously overdue funds to businesses.