PM chairs a high-level meet; waive off basic customs duty & health cess on oxygen & oxygen related equipment
2 years ago
On Saturday, PM Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting to plan the oxygen shortage in the country during the pandemic. Basic Customs Duty and health cess on import of the Oxygen and Oxygen related equipment for a period of three months with immediate effect, said PMO in a statement.
PM was briefed that basic customs duty was exempted on Remdesivir and its API recently. It was suggested that import of equipment related to providing oxygen to patients needs to be expedited and to meet the high demand for Oxygen in the country, it is decided to grant full exemption from Basic Customs Duty and health cess on import of the following items related to Oxygen and Oxygen related equipment for a period of three months with immediate effect:
- Medical Grade Oxygen
- Oxygen concentrator along with flow meter, regulator, connectors, and tubing
- Vacuum Pressure Swing Absorption (VPSA) and Pressure Swing Absorption (PSA) oxygen plants, Cryogenic Oxygen Air Separation Units (ASUs) producing liquid/ gaseous oxygen
- Oxygen Canister
- Oxygen Filling Systems
- Oxygen Storage tanks, Oxygen cylinders including cryogenic cylinders and tanks
- Oxygen Generators
- ISO Containers for Shipping Oxygen
- Cryogenic Road transport tanks for Oxygen
- Parts of the above to be used for the manufacture of equipment for production, transportation, distribution or storage of Oxygen
- Any other device from which Oxygen can be generated
- Ventilators (capable of functioning as high-flow devices) with nasal cannula; Compressors including all accessories and tubing; humidifiers and Viral filters
- High flow nasal cannula device with all attachments
- Helmets for use with non-invasive ventilation
- Non-invasive ventilation oronasal masks for ICU ventilators
- Non-invasive ventilation nasal masks for ICU ventilators
To improve the supply of oxygen and medical supplies, Central Govt. has taken a lot of measures in the last few days as IAF planes are bringing in cryogenic oxygen tanks from Singapore.