<p class="title">Karnataka BJP unit today urged the Centre to bring down the GST on pan masala to 5% from the existing 18% and also hike the minimum import price (MIP) of arecanut to Rs 300/kg to save domestic growers reeling under the crisis due to lower prices.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Domestic prices of arecanut have fallen sharply to Rs 280/kg at present from the high of Rs 380/kg last year owing to cheaper and poor quality import of the commodity from Sri Lanka and other countries, it said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A representation in this regard has been made to the union ministries of agriculture, commerce and finance separately by the Karnataka BJP Arecanut Cell President and MLA Araga Jnanendra.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Arecanut growers are in distress due to falling prices. There is a need to curb cheaper imports and encourage value addition of arecanut," Jnanendra told reporters here.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Arecanut is used in the making of pan masala, but the goods and services tax (GST) has been fixed higher at 18 per cent.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We have requested the union finance ministry to slash it to 5 per cent level as pan masala is manufactured by small-scale industries," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">That apart, the Centre has been requested to further increase the MIP of arecanut to Rs 300/kg from the current Rs 251/kg so that to restrict cheaper and poor quality shipment of the commodity, added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Jnanendra further said that the imports need to be monitored strictly as shipments are being made with under-invoicing. Even the quality of the commodity needs to be checked before allowing the shipments to enter India.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Cheaper imports are happening through Sri Lanka taking advantage of the lower duty benefit under the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA).</p>.<p class="bodytext">Recently, the Centre raised the MIP of arecanut to Rs 251 per kg from Rs 162 per kg.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The country's annual arecanut production is around 5,00,000 tonnes, out of which 60 per cent comes from Karnataka. Tamil Nadu, Goa and Assam are other major growing states.</p>
<p class="title">Karnataka BJP unit today urged the Centre to bring down the GST on pan masala to 5% from the existing 18% and also hike the minimum import price (MIP) of arecanut to Rs 300/kg to save domestic growers reeling under the crisis due to lower prices.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Domestic prices of arecanut have fallen sharply to Rs 280/kg at present from the high of Rs 380/kg last year owing to cheaper and poor quality import of the commodity from Sri Lanka and other countries, it said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A representation in this regard has been made to the union ministries of agriculture, commerce and finance separately by the Karnataka BJP Arecanut Cell President and MLA Araga Jnanendra.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Arecanut growers are in distress due to falling prices. There is a need to curb cheaper imports and encourage value addition of arecanut," Jnanendra told reporters here.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Arecanut is used in the making of pan masala, but the goods and services tax (GST) has been fixed higher at 18 per cent.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We have requested the union finance ministry to slash it to 5 per cent level as pan masala is manufactured by small-scale industries," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">That apart, the Centre has been requested to further increase the MIP of arecanut to Rs 300/kg from the current Rs 251/kg so that to restrict cheaper and poor quality shipment of the commodity, added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Jnanendra further said that the imports need to be monitored strictly as shipments are being made with under-invoicing. Even the quality of the commodity needs to be checked before allowing the shipments to enter India.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Cheaper imports are happening through Sri Lanka taking advantage of the lower duty benefit under the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA).</p>.<p class="bodytext">Recently, the Centre raised the MIP of arecanut to Rs 251 per kg from Rs 162 per kg.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The country's annual arecanut production is around 5,00,000 tonnes, out of which 60 per cent comes from Karnataka. Tamil Nadu, Goa and Assam are other major growing states.</p>