31^st March, 2003

            In exercise of power conferred by sub-section (1) of section 5A of the Central Excise Act, 1944 (1 of 1944), the Central Government, being satisfied that it is necessary in the public interest so to do, hereby exempts all goods specified in the First Schedule to the Central Excise Tariff Act, 1985 (5of 1986), produced or manufactured by a unit in special economic zone and allowed to be sold in India, from so much of the duty of excise leviable thereon as is equivalent to the special additional duty of customs leviable on such goods under section 3 A of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 (51 of 1975) read with proviso to sub-section (1) of section 3 of the said Central Excise Act:

            Provided that nothing contained in this notification shall apply where such goods are exempted by the State Government from the payment of sales tax.

2.         This notification shall come into force on the 1^st day of April, 2003.

Explanation.- For the purposes of this notification, "special economic zone" has the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (iii) to the Explanation 2 of sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Central Excise Act, 1944 ( 1 of 1944).

D. S. Garbyal
Under Secretary to the Government of India

F. No. 305/45/2003-FTT