Goa, Dec. 5 -- Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday introduced the Health Security and National Security Cess Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha, seeking its consideration and passage. The proposed legislation aims to generate additional resources for national security expenditure and public health initiatives by levying a cess on machinery or processes used in the manufacture of specified goods.

Presenting the bill, Sitharaman said, "I rise to move that the bill to augment resources for meeting expenditure on national security and public health, and to levy a cess on machines installed or other processes undertaken for the manufacture or production of specified goods, and for matters connected or incidental thereto."

Explaini...