The Central Government has extended the deadline for taking central excise registration of an establishment by a jeweller to July 31, 2016. An official announcement was issued on July 2, 2016.

The notification said: “The liability for payment of central excise duty will be with effect from 1st March, 2016. However, assessee jewellers may make payment of excise duty for the months of March, 2016; April 2016 and May, 2016 along with the payment of excise duty for the month of June, 2016 upto the extended date of 31.07.2016.”

It may be recalled that the government had announced a 1% excise duty on jewellery in the Union Budget for 2016-17 with some conditions. Following a 42 day all-India strike by the industry, it later constituted the Ashok Lahiri Committee to make recommendations on issues related to compliance procedure and implementation.