COVID-19: Centre exempts Basic Custom Duty & Health cess on PPE imports till September 30

In a significant development on Thursday, the Centre has decided to grant an exemption from Basic Customs Duty and Health cess on the import of ventilators, face masks, surgical masks, personal protective equipment, COVID-19 test kits and inputs for the manufacture of these items. According to the Ministry of Finance, this decision was taken in the wake of the immediate requirement of the aforesaid items. At the same time, it has been specified that the Basic Customs Duty exemption will be available until September 30, 2020. Currently, there are 5,865 confirmed COVID-19 cases in India out of which 478 people have been discharged while 169 individuals have passed away. 

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'PPE should be used rationally' 

Incidentally, the Union Health Ministry asserted earlier in the day that there was no need to panic over the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE). Addressing the media, Lav Agarwal- the Joint Secretary in the Union Health Ministry stated that 20 companies were already manufacturing PPE in the country and orders for 1.7 crore PPE had been placed. Maintaining that the manufacturing and procurement process had been scaled up, he called for the rational use of PPE as per the guidelines. For instance, Agarwal argued that a person could use one N95 mask in a day instead of 4 in a day's time. 

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Lav Agarwal remarked, “No need to believe any rumour or have any fear regarding PPE. Our guidelines state that not only PPE should be made available, but they should be used rationally." He added, “It (PPE) should be used as per requirement, and as I have told you, I can use four N95 masks within a day, or I can use just one within a day. While the central government is augmenting supplies to the states, we are also requesting them to use them rationally." 

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