New Delhi, Dec 8 (PTI) Parliament on Monday approved a bill seeking cess on manufacturing units of pan masala to augment expenditure on national security and public health.

The Rajya Sabha returned the Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025, to the Lok Sabha. The bill was approved by the Lower House on Friday.

The cess will be over and above the GST, and will be levied on the production capacity of machines in pan masala manufacturing factories.

Replying to the debate on the bill, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the cess is intended to serve the cost of national and health security. PTI MSS KRH NKD MSS ANU ANU

Pan masala manufacturing cess to fund national and public health security, charged on machine production capacity over GST. Parliament imposed a statutory cess on pan masala manufacturing units to fund national security and public health, levied over and above GST and calculated on the production capacity of manufacturing machines rather than on sales or value.