Alco-bev sector generated Rs 1.4 lakh crore in Excise revenues in 2018-19: Pahle India Foundation Report

The alcoholic beverages sector,  which  brings in the most revenues after GST collection and stamp duties for almost all states in India generated Excise revenues to the tune of Rs 1.4 lakh crores for the year 2018-19, according to a report titled “An Integrated Value Chain Approach to Ease of Doing Business: A Case Study of Sugar, Alcohol-Bev, and Tourism” by policy think-tank Pahle India Foundation.

During the year, the alco-Bev sector generated 15% additional excise revenues as compared to the last year’s revised Budget estimates, says the report citing state budget documents for 2018-19 as the source.  The report moots overhauling the Excise Act, as part of crucial recommendations for reforms in the alco-Bev sector for improving ease of doing business (EoDB) and greater benefit to state economies.

Among the top three states with highest revenue earnings from Excise in 2018-19, Uttar Pradesh was at the top with earnings of Rs 23,000 crore, Maharashtra was second with Excise earnings  of Rs  15,343 crore and Telanga was third with Excise earnings of Rs 10600 crore.

The alco-Bev the sector was part of the three sectors besides sugar and tourism chosen for the study report to establish that an integrated value chain approach to ease of doing business will lead to more quantifiable gains and better results for the states. This report was released by Shri. Amitabh Kant, CEO of Niti Ayog, in New Delhi recently.

Speaking at the launch of the report, Mr. Amitabh Kant said:  “The alco-Bev sector is important because the tourism sector and other sectors are impacted by it… This is a sector which can create a vast number of jobs and can be a driver of travel and tourism in many ways. But the sector is constrained by huge number regulations, procedures and state governments putting large impediments leading to lack of transparency.”

“The economic importance of the alcoholic beverages sector, inferred by the contribution to tax revenues, is immense. Since the introduction of GST, excise is one of the major taxes that states levy and collect by themselves. Tax revenue from excise forms a significant part of the states’ revenue receipts,” the report states.

 “If you look at the alcohol sector, inputs come from the sugarcane industry and output goes to tourism industry and all these 3 industries have a major impact on the economy. Tourism for creating jobs, Alcohol because 20-30% of states revenue comes from alcohol and sugar because of its political sensitivity and fact that farmers need to improve the incomes. So if we could have an Integrated Value Chain Approach and if all the roadblocks in these 3 sectors were removed it would be fantastic for everybody in the economy,” said Amrit Kiran Singh, executive chairman, International Spirits & Wines Association of India.

Overhauling the Excise Act was part of the key macro-economic recommendations for policy reforms, which examines these three industries as case studies due to their interlinkages with each other and a different regulatory framework to establish how even a small reform in any of these sectors can create a cumulative economic impact.  

“The present government has been proactive in weeding out outdated laws and practices. While this is happening at the Central level, the states also need to adopt this. … There is a need to review the Excise Acts in order to remove the redundancies and update business practices,” the report recommends.

For the alco-bev the sector, the report identifies key areas that make it difficult for businesses to operate, which pertain to Licensing, Brand Registration, Label Registration, Excise Adhesive Labels (EALs), and  Pricing, besides the archaic Excise Act.

Revenue from Excise*
(All figures are in INR crores)
	STATES	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19
1	Karnataka	12828.32	13801.19	15332.88	16483.75	17948.51	18250
2	Maharashtra	10101.12	11397.07	12469.55	12287.91	12500.00	15343.08
3	Uttar Pradesh	11643.8	13482.32	14083.88	14273.42	15700	23000
4	Delhi	3151.63	3422.39	4259.93	4251.4	4700	5200
5	Haryana	3697.34	3470.45	4371.08	4613.12	5500	6000
6	Telangana	NA	2807.68	3809.06	5580.71	8999.99	10600
7	Orissa	2284.91	2709.73	3388.90	3877.87
8	Assam	610.25	664.99	807.95	963.81	1060.19	1300
9	Chhattisgarh	2549.14	2892.45	3338.39	3443.50	3687.86	4355.00
10	Jharkhand	627.93	961.67	912.46	961.67	1600	1000
*Note: Revenue from Excise does not include revenue from Sales Tax/VAT; it is an additional revenue for the states where it is levied.