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: growing acceptance world wide, ayurvedic, unani, sidha, homeopathic and traditional systems of medicines open up a huge opportunuity that could be tapped by Indian companies. Therefore, there is a significant opportunity for SMEs that are willing to upgrade and exapand.

I have a business in Nasik. I have an unresolved query regarding my product Plaster of Paris (made of gypsum). In Schedule C i.e. the 4 % Vat list, item No. 41 is ‘Gypsum of all forms & descriptions.’ Does my product come under this? In the industrial input list, its name ‘Dehydrated

Calcium Sulphate’ has not been included. There’s much confusion, as traders are charging 12.5% Vat in Mumbai, but 4% in Nasik. What should I charge? I had also raised this point in Vat’s website queries, but have received no reply. I request you to let me know so I can charge correct rate.

— Jay Patel, Nasik

You are right, the position of Plaster of Paris is not clear from the Vat schedules of Maharashtra. An official clarification would be needed from the Mahrashtra Vat Deptt. However, keeping in view that Schedule C contains industrial inputs and Plaster of Paris could be used both for industrial and household purposes, it appears your Mumbai counterparts may have opted for the right approach by charging 12.5% rate.

Could you please clarify the investment limit proposed for small and medium enterprises in the SME Develoment Bill, which was introduced in Parliament recently? Is there any major addendum to the earlier draft?

—Ashok Gupta, Kolkata

The Bill has proposed the expansion of the definition from the currrent Small-Scale Industries (SSIs) to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). For small enterprises, it has proposed an investment limit of Rs 5 crore in case of manufacturing and Rs 2 crore for services, up from the present Rs1 crore and Rs 10 lakh, respectively. It proposes investment limit up to Rs 10 crore for medium manufacturing units and up to Rs 5 crore for service units; medium enterprises were not defined earlier.