India exempts duty on relief goods

Indian Finance Minister Piyush Goyal has said the central government is exempting basic customs duty and Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) for the goods imported or supplied for flood relief operations in Kerala. “India stands with Kerala in this hour of need.

The Central Government is exempting basic customs duty and IGST for the consignments of aid and relief materials being despatched or imported from abroad for the affected people,” Piyush Goyal tweeted. Meanwhile, the Indian Government has declared the Kerala floods as a ‘calamity of a severe nature’, categorising it as a Level 3 disaster.

Consequent to the order of declaring Kerala Floods a calamity of severe nature, every MP can contribute up to INR 1 crore from MPLADS funds for Kerala relief.

The highest Level 3 designation is given when the state may not have the capacity to respond adequately and require assistance from the Centre.