FM Sitharaman Tables New Bill To Replace GST Compensation Cess As Winter Session Kicks Off

The government introduced two significant legislations in the Lok Sabha on Monday, the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025, aimed at updating the decades-old excise framework, and the Health Security and National Security Cess Bill, 2025, which proposes a cess on specified manufacturing processes to raise funds for public health and national security.

Both the bills were introduced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on on first day of Parliament's winter session. The Health Security and National Security Cess Bill, 2025 seeks to levy a Cess on the production of specified goods, such as pan masala.

Meanwhile, the Central Excise Bill will replace the GST Compensation Cess currently levied on all tobacco products, including cigarettes, chewing tobacco, cigars, hookahs, zarda, and scented tobacco. This comes after the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla expressed hope that the Winter Session would be “productive and meaningful.”

In a post on X, he wrote, “Parliament is the highest platform for expressing the nation’s expectations, public aspirations, democratic values, and the collective responsibility of its representatives… Hope that all Hon’ble Members will uphold the healthy traditions of our democracy and, through their active participation, make this Session productive and meaningful.”

Earlier at the start of the session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned the opposition against turning the House into a “meltdown” zone and urged lawmakers to focus on policy over slogans. With 15 sittings scheduled over 19 days, the session, starting Monday, will see the government push a packed legislative agenda, among the key bills were excise and national security bill which have already been introduced.

PM Modi said Parliament should prioritise meaningful discussion and policy-driven outcomes. “Whoever wants to do drama can do it. There should be delivery here, not drama… the emphasis should be on policy, not slogans,” NDTV reported.