Punjab looking to raise $101.2M via excise duty on ethanol

In Pakistan, the News International reports that Punjab is considering applying a 2.5-cent per liter excise duty on ethanol as a way to boost government coffers without heavily imposing on consumers. The duty could bring in $101.2 million per year to the state’s budget. In the past, a smaller excise duty was lobbed on ethanol with the justification that ethanol is alcohol and therefore prohibited by Islam, but it was later removed after a court challenge by the sugar industry.