The Maharashtra government has partially rolled back the previous hike in license fees for liquor vendors in order to bring relief to the liquor industry.
On the other hand, the hospitality industry in Maharashtra has urged Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to provide 50 per cent fees waivers for the fiscal year 2021-22.
On March 25, the state excise department issued a fresh gazette notification reducing these license fees. According to the latest order, a permit room in Mumbai or cities with a population of over 20 lakhs, will have to pay a marginally lower fee of INR 7.45 lakhs, while the wine shops will pay INR 12.69 lakhs.
If reports are to believed, the latest hike was expected to grow revenues by INR 200 crores for the department, which earns about INR 1,000 crores annually from license fees.
Also Read: Maharashtra: Now, Wine To Be Available For Sale In Super Markets - Details Here
As per accounts, the state excise has a revenue collection target of INR 19,500 crores for the 2021-22 financial year.
For those unversed, in January, the Maharashtra government had increased the license fees by an average of 15 per cent, leading to industry bodies taking umbrage. This was done because the industry said this would affect their financial health just as they were recovering from the impact of the pandemic, said a senior official.
Read More: Maharashtra Govt Hikes 15% Liquor License Fee; AHAR abhors hike in excise fees
On 28 January, the state government had hiked license fees for bars and restaurants in Mumbai which hold the permit room license from INR 6.93 lakhs in 2021-22 to INR 7.97 lakhs for 2022-23.
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