Goa is known for the cheaper liquor cost what that means is Liquor has been the cheapest in the state compared any other parts of the country due to relief in excise duty and thus there are instances of smuggling the liquor out of the state.
It does not matter how much price hike comes in the other commodities but the liquor always remains the cheapest in the state. For example the petrol prices kept skyrocketing and unseasonal rains made tomatoes out of the reach of a common man but liquor still remained cheaper than tomatoes and petrol.
The cost of the liquor bottle is compared with the cost of one litre petrol. According to the reports, buying a beer in India’s popular tourist destination is much cheaper than a liter of petrol or even a kilo of tomatoes.
You can always blame the inflation for this but the liquor remains immune to any inflations in the state due to lowest or nil liquor tax rates in the country.
In Goa, the popular Goa Kings pilsner retails at Rs 60, while a kilogram of tomatoes is competing with petrol, at around Rs 100, according to a Times of India report.
While the unseasonal rains has resulted in spiking the Tomato rates in the state the GST and import duty has kept the petrol prices always higher in the state, although it is still cheaper compared to rest of the country.
While it is true some tomatoes are available for around Rs 70/kg, but it is still costlier than a pint of Kings, the TOI report says. It’s not just the local beers that are cheaper than 1 kg tomato. Even 750ml of Kingfisher or Tuborg, at Rs 85 per bottle, are beating the kitchen staple. Fuel prices have also been on a high in the state, with petrol retailing at Rs 96 per litre and diesel at Rs 87 per litre.
State and Central governments have imposed huge taxes on fuel which nearly double the retail price of petrol and diesel. On the other hand, Goa has the lowest liquor tax rate in the country.
The state depends on its neighbours for vegetables. According to The Times of India, it sources around 150 tonnes of tomatoes from Hubballi and Belgaum daily.
Source: Money Control
