Multi Commodity Exchange shares tank 5% on Budget 2013 Commodity Transaction Tax

MCX shares closed 4.51 per cent lower at Rs 1,093.35 on the BSE. Intra-day, the shares tumbled 5.23 per cent to Rs 1,085.05.

At NSE, the shares ended at Rs 1,093.10, down 4.86 per cent from its previous close.

"The move will, to some extent, discourage investment in commodity futures trading and reduce liquidity. It is feared that it may also divert traders towards unauthorised/illegal trading," said Naveen Mathur, Associate Director Commodities & Currencies, Angel Broking.

The Commodity Transaction Tax (CTT), which is on similar lines as the Securities Transaction tax (STT), would work out to Rs 10 for transaction worth Rs 1 lakh.

"There is no distinction between derivative trading in the securities markets and derivative trading in commodities markets. Only the underlying asset is different. It is the time to introduce commodity transaction tax in a limited way," Finance Minister P Chidambaram said yesterday while presenting Budget 2013-14 in the Lok Sabha.

"With respect to CTT, the discrimination is glaring between agri and non-agri commodities; which is not the case as regards security transaction tax (STT). This treatment is like having STT on shares of 'Company A' and no STT on 'Company B'," MCX Managing Director and CEO Shreekant Javalgekar had said.