Central Excise Tariff 2006-07

Finance Bill, 2007

Chapter VI

Secondary and Higher Education Cess

126. (1) Without prejudice to the provisions of sub-section (12) of section 2, there shall be levied and collected, in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter as surcharge for purposes of the Union, a cess to be called the Secondary and Higher Education Cess, to fulfil the commitment of the Government to provide and finance secondary and higher education.

(2) The Central Government may, after due appropriation made by Parliament by law in this behalf, utilise, such sums of money of the Secondary and Higher Education Cess levied under sub­section (12) of section 2 and this Chapter for the purposes specified in sub-section (1) as it may consider necessary.

127. The words and expressions used in this Chapter and defined in the Central Excise Act, 1944, the Customs Act, 1962 or Chapter V of the Finance Act, 1994, shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in those Acts or Chapter, as the case may be.

128. (1) The Secondary and Higher Education Cess levied under section 126, in the case of goods specified in the First Schedule to the Central Excise Tariff Act, 1985, being goods manufactured or produced, shall be a duty of excise (in this section referred to as the Secondary and Higher Education Cess on excisable goods), at the rate of one per cent., calculated on the aggregate of all duties of excise (including special duty of excise or any other duty of excise but excluding Education Cess chargeable under section 93 of the Finance (No. 2) Act, 2004 and Secondary and Higher Education Cess on excisable goods) which are levied and collected by the Central Government in the Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue), under the provisions of the Central Excise Act, 1944 or under any other law for the time being in force.

(2) The Secondary and Higher Education Cess on excisable goods shall be in addition to any other duties of excise chargeable on such goods, under the Central Excise Act, 1944 or any other law for the time being in force and the Education Cess chargeable under section 93 of the Finance (No. 2) Act, 2004.

(3) The provisions of the Central Excise Act, 1944 and the rules made thereunder, including 45 those relating to refunds and exemptions from duties and imposition of penalty shall, as far as may be, apply in relation to the levy and collection of the Secondary and Higher Education Cess on excisable goods as they apply in relation to the levy and collection of the duties of excise on such goods under the Central Excise Act, 1944 or the rules made thereunder, as the case may be.