We love Goa for its sandy beaches, clear blue sky, delicious food and ofcourse its cheap booze. We love the fact that booze is often cheaper than water here. Kings Beer, Coconut Feni and we’re sorted for the day. Well, for all you Goa fans, we have bad news that might bring down your happy high. Liquor in Goa will get costlier from April onwards, due to a rise in excise duty. Pramod Sawant the Chief Minister of Goa recently stated in the assembly that liquor will soon cost up to 50% more from 1st April. The Chief Minister while presenting the budget informed that property and booze will be pricier in Goa. The increase in tax rates is expected to bring about ₹250 to ₹300 crores of additional revenue, which would be used to complete the ongoing infrastructure projects in the state. So get ready to shell a few bucks more on liquor in Goa from April onwards.
What’s In It?
While discussing the budget, Pramod Sawant revealed to the media that they had only made a small hike in tax to not overburden the common man. They have also hiked stamp duty, fees and excise duties by a small amount as well as revised the land rates. Court fees have also been increased. During his budget speech from 2020-2021, he revealed that Goa has a limited tax base through which revenue can be increased. Special efforts are also being made to plug leakages in the system and enhance efficiency in the tax collections.
When it comes to fixing tax leakages, the Chief Minister raised the excise duty on Indian foreign liquor (IMFL) this includes blended whiskey, beer and rum. The most interesting and disheartening part is that the government has increased the excise duty on Feni. So the next time you want to buy Feni in Goa, you would have to pay ₹100 to ₹200 more, depending on the bottle’s retail selling price.
Also Read: Why You Should Choose Gokarna Over Goa For Your Next Holiday
What’s More?
If you’re already shedding tears of sorrow, then let’s give you a sigh of relief by letting you know that Goa will continue having cheaper booze compared to other states in the country. The Chief Minister has even pledged to introduce a unique hologram on liquor bottles as a way to come down heavy on black-marketing and authenticate liquor in the state. So if you’re planning a trip to Goa anytime soon, you can either prepone your plans or get ready to have a lovely trip but on a bigger liquor budget. Did you know Goa To Get 2nd International Airport In Mopa In Three Years?
