#DecodingBudget: Here's what's got costlier, and what has become cheaper
The Budget 2018 had its focus on several key aspects of the economy, but the common man was not one of them. Customs duty was increased on various imported items to boost domestic manufacturing, thus pushing up prices. Check out this detailed list of what will get costlier and what cheaper.
Mobile phones, bikes and cars, cigarettes to become more expensive
The list of costlier items is long. Due to increases in customs duty and health and education cess, mobile phones and TVs will cost 5% more. The price of phone batteries will also go up by 5%. Cars and motorcycles, smartwatches, wearable devices, video game consoles and other electronics will get more expensive. Like every time, the cost of cigarettes will rise.
Many family use items also set to get costlier
Among personal-use items, prices of accessories like sunglasses, perfumes/deodorants/scents, shaving items and footwear will go up. Silver and gold will cost 3% more. Diamond and colored gemstones will also be costlier, and so will be silk fabrics. Family-use products including furniture, mattresses and lamps, and food items like vegetables, fruit juices and edible oils (olive oil and groundnut oil) will be more expensive.
What got cheaper?
Other cheaper items include solar-tempered glass, select capital goods like ball screws and linear motion guides, raw materials used in making cochlear implants, and raw cashew nuts.
