Nirmala Sitharaman Presents Two Bills In Lok Sabha To Impose Cess On Tobacco Products

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced two bills in the Lok Sabha on Monday, the first day of the Winter Session of Parliament, aimed at levying cess on tobacco products and their manufacturing.

Sitharaman introduced the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha, soon after the House convened following a brief adjournment till noon.

According to the minister, “It will augment the resources for meeting expenditure on national security and public health, and levy a cess for the said purposes on the machines installed or other processes undertaken by which specified goods are manufactured or produced, and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.”