CESTAT adjudicated a dispute regarding Additional Excise Duty...

CESTAT adjudicated a dispute regarding Additional Excise Duty (AED) imposed on pre-budget stock. The tribunal followed established judicial precedents affirming that new levies cannot be retrospectively applied to goods manufactured before the levy's introduction. Based on consistent rulings by SC and various HCs, the tribunal held that AED cannot be imposed on existing stock at the time of levy's implementation. The appellant was exempted from paying AED on finished goods manufactured prior to the new levy, with the duty's applicability contingent upon goods' removal from the factory after the levy's introduction. Consequently, the impugned order was set aside, and the appeal was allowed.