- PM Modi denies reports of foreign travel tax/cess.
- He stated there is no truth to the claims.
- The government aims to improve ease of business and living.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday dismissed reports claiming that the government was considering imposing a tax, cess or surcharge on foreign travel.
Reacting to a post shared by CNBC-TV18 PM Modi wrote on X, “This is totally false.”
“Not an iota of truth in this.”
“There is no question of putting such restrictions on foreign travel.”
“We remain committed to improving ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and ‘Ease of Living’ for our people,” he added.
CNBC-TV18 Report Cited Sources
The post reposted by Modi referred to a report by CNBC-TV18 which stated that the government was considering a “tax/cess/surcharge on foreign travel”, though no final decision had been taken.
This is totally false.
Not an iota of truth in this.
There is no question of putting such restrictions on foreign travel.
We remain committed to improving ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and ‘Ease of Living’ for our people. https://t.co/9lxjbxz0nV
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 15, 2026
According to the report, sources said a proposal to levy a cess, tax or surcharge on foreign travel was being discussed “at the highest levels”.
The report further claimed that any such cess or surcharge would flow directly to the Centre and would not form part of the divisible pool.
Report Linked Proposal To War-Related Fiscal Impact
The CNBC-TV18 report also stated that the proposed levy was aimed at cushioning the fiscal impact arising from war-related expenditure.
According to the report, the cess, tax or surcharge on foreign travel was likely to be temporary and could remain in place for one year.
The report added that the Finance Ministry had not responded to CNBC-TV18’s query on the matter.
