the goan I network
PANAJI
In a notification issued on Tuesday, Undersecretary (Finance) Sushama Kamat has amended the VAT to be imposed on petrol to 20%, which through this year’s budget announcement was set at 22% in April this year.
The government in its budget proposals had increased the VAT on petrol from 15% to 22% while assuring that revision would not exceed prices existing as on April 2, 2012
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar however, promised that he would reduce the quantum of VAT if the price went above `  60, a benchmark the government set for itself in a bid to assure voters that the ‘spirit’ of its decision to reduce petrol prices was still intact.
Defending his decision to hike the VAT on petrol in March this year, Parsekar said the reduction was first introduced because petrol prices were high and to give relief to the common man.
“However, now since the (international) oil prices have dipped, it was not needed,” Parsekar had said even as he promised that the price of fuel in Goa would remain below `  55 per litre.
However, petrol prices have been steadily increasing ever since Parsekar’s announcement.
