Govt permits import of OCs via post, courier for personal use

New Delhi: The government has allowed imports of oxygen concentrators for personal use through post, courier or e-commerce portals under the gift category amid increasing demand for oxygen due to rising COVID-19 cases, the commerce ministry said on Saturday.

The exemption for oxygen concentrators is allowed only for a period till July 31, 2021, it said.

Currently, all imported goods declared as gift with customs authorities attract customs duty and integrated GST.

Rajat Mohan, a senior partner at AMRG and Associates, said, "Import of Oxygen concentrators in India are chargeable to a Basic customs duty of 10 per cent, IGST @12 per cent, topped up with applicable cesses. Exempting numerous COVID related relief materials, including Oxygen concentrators from levy of customs duty, would substantially lower the prices of these essential commodities with immediate effect".

An oxygen concentrator is a medical device that concentrates oxygen from ambient air. It is in high demand due to increasing COVID-19 cases in the country. These concentrators capture and filter the air, unlike oxygen cylinders which can only store a fixed amount of oxygen.

"The government has included the import of oxygen concentrators for personal use, through post, courier or e-commerce portals, in the list of exempted categories, where Customs clearance is sought as gifts," the ministry said.

Earlier, oxygen concentrators were not mentioned in the list. Now, it has been added on account of its high demand due to COVID-19 cases.