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AgenciesRepresentational image Delhi will finally offer premium liquor brands at vends and allow opening of exclusive beer bars under the new liquor policy, which is in the final stages of formulation.The newly-formed BJP government in Delhi has decided to introduce three major tweaks in the existent liquor policy. These include scrapping the per bottle fixed retail margin on premium liquor (which makes premium brands more expensive than neighbouring Gurgaon), imposition of an excise duty on Bhutanese and Nepalese liquor brands and introduction of a new beer policy which may allow opening beer bars in the capital.The government will keep the control of liquor trade and will not allow private vends in Delhi, as of now. The liquor vends are now managed by four government entities -- Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation, Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation, Delhi Consumer's Cooperative Wholesale Store and Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation. This system will continue. Sources said the new excise policy will remain in place for a year and if issues arise, these will be addressed subsequently. The state government has decided to play it safe on the politically potent issue of reduction of drinking age. Sources said the government may not reduce it and keep it at 25 years.The biggest issue being addressed is the non-availability of premium liquor brands. While there is no price difference between Delhi and Gurgaon on Indian liquor brands, premium liquor brands are not available in the capital. Delhi has a fixed retail margin per bottle on premium liquor -- ₹50 on Indian Made Foreign Liquor and ₹100 on foreign liquor per bottle. Since there is a fixed retail margin, premium brands are more expensive in Delhi as compared to neighbouring Gurgaon, which has a more flexible policy. Gurgaon auctions its private liquor vend licences and the successful bidders offer discounts on retail price to break even. This is why the premium liquor brands are cheaper in Gurgaon and Delhi's government liquor vends have now stopped stocking these brands. Under the new liquor policy, Delhi will scrap the per bottle fixed retail margin which will mean the premium brands would be competitively priced in Delhi.Another issue of Bhutanese and Nepalese beer brands (which do not incur import duties making them cheaper) flooding the Delhi market will also be addressed. Delhi is likely to introduce an excise duty on Bhutanese and Nepalese beer to bring them at par with home-grown brands. This has been a long-standing demand of Indian brewers who are charged a 150% excise duty making their beer brands less competitive. With this new excise duty under the policy, Indian manufacturers would get a level playing field. Following the 2022 liquor policy scam, which later saw the arrest of the top AAP leadership, Delhi reverted to its old excise policy on September 1, 2022. Live EventsUnder this policy, the excise department gives out L-1 licences for wholesale supply of Indian liquor to a company which has a licence for manufacturing of liquor. This L-1 license holder supplies liquor to vends, which are managed by Delhi government's agencies. As the new BJP government took charge in March, framing a new excise policy was a priority. A committee, under minister Parvesh Singh Verma, had been formed and is likely to bring out the new policy by this month.Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Read More News onDelhi new liquor policypremium liquor brands DelhiDelhi beer barsexcise duty on liquorBJP government Delhi liquor policyBhutanese and Nepalese liquorDelhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development CorporationdelhiDelhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporationbjp (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News onDelhi new liquor policypremium liquor brands DelhiDelhi beer barsexcise duty on liquorBJP government Delhi liquor policyBhutanese and Nepalese liquorDelhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development CorporationdelhiDelhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporationbjp(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless
