New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 15 strongly rejected media reports suggesting that the government was considering imposing a tax, cess, or surcharge on foreign travel, describing the claims as “totally false” and “not an iota of truth in this.”
In a post shared on social media platform X, Narendra Modi directly addressed a report by CNBC-TV18, which had claimed, citing unnamed sources, that a proposal to levy additional charges on foreign travel was being discussed at the highest levels of the government.
The CNBC-TV18 report had suggested that the proposal involved discussions around a potential cess or surcharge on outbound foreign travel, with revenue intended to be routed directly to the Centre rather than divisible tax pools.
It also claimed that such a measure was being examined as a possible short-term fiscal response, potentially linked to broader macroeconomic pressures, including rising import costs and global crude oil fluctuations. However, the report also noted that no final decision had been made.
Responding sharply to the claims, the Prime Minister dismissed the report in unequivocal terms, stating there was “no question” of imposing such restrictions on foreign travel. He further reiterated the government’s focus on improving both the “Ease of Doing Business” and the “Ease of Living” for citizens, signaling that policy direction remains oriented toward facilitation rather than restriction.
