Jaitley, however, spared the common man from price hikes on many commonly used day-to-day items by reducing duties.
Leather footwear priced above Rs 1,000 per pair will cost less as excise duty has gone down to 6 percent from 12 percent earlier. Packaged fruits and vegetables will also become cheaper as pre-cooling, ripening, retail packing and labelling of these items have been exempted from service tax.
Similarly excise duty on locally made mobile phones, LED/ LCD panels, LED lights and LED Lamps have been cut. Microwave ovens are likely to become cheaper as a key component, magnetron, has been exempted from basic customs duty as compared to 5 percent earlier. Refrigerator prices could also come down as import duty on various components have been reduced.
Similarly, solar water heater will be less expensive with excise duty on the item has been changed from 12 percent to nil without CENVAT credit or 12.5 per cent with CENVAT credit.
Agarbattis prices will come down as it will now attract nil excise duty with Jaitley announcing "full exemption from excise duty is being extended to captively consumed intermediate compound coming into existence during the manufacture of Agarbattis".
Prices of pacemakers are expected to come down as specific materials used in its manufacturing have been exempted from duties.
Ambulance and ambulance services are also expected to come down as excise duty on chassis of such vehicle has been cut to 12.5 percent from 24 percent, while all ambulance services provided to patients are being exempted from service tax.
A visit to museum, zoo, national park, wild life sanctuary and tiger reserves will also become pocket friendly with the Finance Minister exempting such activities from the service tax.
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