“Increased excise duty is going to compound more burden on hospitality sector along with increased VAT and license fees,” said Jimmy Shaw, President, HRAWI. HRAWI wrote to the Government of Maharashtra expressing serious concern regarding the recent proposal to significantly increase excise duty on liquor in Maharashtra. HRAWI believes this may lead to increased financial strain on hospitality businesses already struggling with 10 per cent higher license fees, 10 per cent VAT, and rising operational costs. In addition, the annual excise license fees have also been revised upwardly by 15 per cent, further compounding the burden on the industry.
