Morung Express News
Dimapur | March 15
The Nikhil Nagaland Swarna Silpi Samiti, an association of jewellers in Nagaland, today protested at GS Road in Dimapur against the imposition of excise duty on gems and jewellery industry.
Protesters shouted slogans against the imposition of excise duty while demanding an immediate rollback. An effigy of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was also burnt during the protest.
Jewellers across India are already on an indefinite strike protesting against the excise duty levy on gold and diamond studded gold ornaments.
It may be mentioned that the recently passed Union Budget 2016-17 had imposed a 1% excise duty on gems and jewellery sector without input credit and 12.5% with input credit.
The NNSSS maintained that the excise guidelines are not practical, but detrimental to the survival of the industry. “The imposition of the excise regime will impact the very livelihood of the millions of Karigars (Jewellery artisans) and Goldsmiths,” the jewellery association stated.
“The industry which has been nurturing a 2000 year old craft will be destroyed by one single act of Government policy,” it added and requested that Government of India to withdraw the excise duty imposition on gems and jewellery sector.
