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    CIABC: Liquor sales decline 29% in the first half of the current fiscal

    Synopsis

    According to the data compiled by the national body that represents leading liquor firms, the drop in sales was much higher in states that imposed Covid-led taxes

    Liquor---BCCL
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    Ban on sale of liquor during the months of complete lockdown followed by imposition of corona cess in May by some states has resulted in sale of hard spirts plummeting 29% in the first half of the current fiscal, said liquor apex body Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC) in their half-yearly sales review.

    “Situation has been worse in states like Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Rajasthan where sales have seen a steep decline due to high corona tax. All India sales volume growth for IMFL (Indian Made Foreign Liquor) segment for the first half of the year 2020-21 was down by 29%,” it said.

    According to the data compiled by the national body that represents leading liquor firms, the drop in sales was much higher in states that imposed Covid-led taxes. States which reported maximum drop in sales in the second quarter of the current fiscal are Andhra Pradesh (-51%), Chhattisgarh (-40%), Jammu & Kashmir (-39%), West Bengal (-22%) and Rajasthan (-20%). “The quantum of decline in sales was in clear relation to the quantum of tax imposed,” said the CIABCs report.

    Overall, sales recovery in September in states that imposed no or marginal tax increase was better, at 1% below compared to the same month last year, indicating that levying of hefty corona tax does not lead to an increase in total tax collection. These states included Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.

    “The notion that alcohol is not price sensitive is greatly misplaced. The inclination of some state governments to impose high taxes on alcohol, assuming it will yield greater revenues, is greatly misplaced,” said Vinod Giri, director general of CIABC. “Price increase above 5-10% tends to start suppressing demand causing fall in sales volume, thus defeating the whole purpose of tax increase,” he added.

    The apex body said the first quarter (April-June) saw sales drop by 49%, while in the second quarter sales were down by 9%.

    Typically, companies that sell hard spirits such as whisky, rum and vodka, register a good jump in sales in the Oct-Dec festive quarter which includes on-trade consumption, Diwali parties, weddings, music festivals and extended travels. However, the pandemic has hit on-trade adversely.

    In a recent investor’s call, Diageo-controlled USL, the country’s largest liquor company, noted that footfalls at restaurants and bars are 50% lower than earlier.

    “We are not a home hygiene product. Our product centres around socializing and we are unsure if socializing is going to come back the way it was last year. It is tough to predict the full buoyancy of the Oct-Dec quarter but there will be an improvement for sure even if there is no full recovery,” United Spirits Ltd (USL) chief executive Anand Kripalu, had said in the investor’s call. “Duty free which is at best 10-15% of the earlier level, could also see a gradual comeback as flights become normal,” he added.

    Single malt maker Amrut Distilleries said that unlike routine 5-10% sales growth from second quarter to festive quarter, this year it has marginally grown at 2% showcasing no exuberance.

    Rakshit Jagdale, managing director of Amrut Distilleries, said, “On-trade consumption of Amrut’s premium, super-premium and luxury divisions is slow. If a cure for Covid-19 is not found and infections continue to rise in winter, this trend will continue into the last quarter of the current fiscal. This is our biggest fear.”

    According to CIABC, India is the third largest spirits market in the world by volume. With annual revenues of Rs 4.5-lakh crore, it is also one of the largest industries within Indian economy. The industry also contributes approximately Rs 2.4-lakh crore in taxes to the governments, thus making it one of the highest tax contributors. It accounts for 20-40% of tax revenues of most state governments. The liquor industry directly and indirectly employs about 50 lakh farmers impacting 3.5 crore people in rural India, besides employing 20 lakh people in its production and supply chain.

    Liquor attracts the highest taxation of any beverage in the country, with more than half the retail price going to state and central governments through value added tax (VAT) and excise duty.


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