COVID Mamata urges PM Modi to waive taxes duties on medical

equipment, drugs
    Kolkata, May 9 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
requesting him to waive all forms of taxes and customs duty on
equipment and drugs being used to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Banerjee also urged Modi to strengthen health
infrastructure and augment supplies of equipment, medicines
and oxygen for treatment of coronavirus-positive patients.
    "A large number of organisations, individuals and
benevolent agencies have come forward to donate oxygen
concentrators, cylinders, containers and COVID-related drugs.
    "Many of the donors have approached the state
government to consider exemption of these from customs duty,
SGST, CGST, IGST," she said in the letter.
    "As the rate structure falls under the purview of the
central government, I would request that these items may be
exempted from GST/customs duty and other such duties and taxes
to help remove supply constraints of the above-mentioned
life-saving drugs and equipment and contribute towards
effective management of the COVID pandemic," Banerjee said.
    She has been attacking the Centre for "failing" to
control the spread of the disease in the country. PTI SCH
BDC BDC

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)