CHAPTER V
HEALTH CESS
Health Cess on imported medical devices.
139. (1) In the case of goods specified in the Fourth Schedule being goods imported into India, there shall be levied and collected for the purposes of the Union, a duty of customs, to be called the Health Cess, at the rates specified in the said Schedule, for the purposes of financing the health infrastructure and services.
(2) The Central Government may, after due appropriation made by Parliament by law in this behalf, utilise such sums of money of the Health Cess levied under this Chapter for the purposes specified in sub-section (1), as it may consider necessary.
(3) For the purposes of calculating the Health Cess under this Chapter on the goods specified in the Fourth Schedule, where such duty is leviable at any percentage of its value, the value of such goods shall be calculated in the same manner as the value of goods is calculated for the purpose of customs duty under the provisions of section 14 of the Customs Act, 1962 (52 of 1962) (hereafter in this Chapter referred to as the Customs Act).
(4) The Health Cess leviable under sub-section (1), chargeable on the goods specified in the Fourth Schedule, shall be in addition to any other duties of customs chargeable on such goods under the Customs Act or any other law for the time being in force.
(5) The provisions of the Customs Act and the rules and regulations made thereunder, including those relating to refunds and exemptions from duties, offences and imposition of penalty, shall, as far as may be, apply in relation to the levy and collection of the Health Cess leviable under this Chapter in respect of the goods specified in the Fourth Schedule as they apply in relation to the levy and collection of duties of customs on such goods under the said Act or the rules or the regulations made thereunder, as the case may be.
Notes on Clauses:
Clause 139 of the Bill seeks to provide for levy of Health Cess at the rate of 5% as duty of customs on all the goods specified in the Fourth Schedule.
