New Delhi, Dec. 3 -- Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a bll aimed at increasing excise duty on tobacco products and their manufacturing after a discussion.

The Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025 seeks to revise excise duties on tobacco and related products after the expiry of the GST compensation cess.

"This is not a new law. This is not an additional tax. This is not some thing that Centre is taking away," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her reply to the discussion on the Bill.

She categorically said excise duty that would be levied and not cess, clearing apprehensions of some members. "This is not a cess," she said.

The minister said that the revenue collected will go to the divisible pool, and will be redistributed agai...