<div>The restrictions on gold imports will be reviewed by March end, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said on Monday (27 January).<br /><br />"I am confident that by the end of this year we will be able to revisit some of the restrictions on gold import but we will do so only when we are absolutely sure that we have a firm grip on the current account deficit," he said while addressing tax officials at the Customs Day here.<br /><br />To contain the rising gold imports, the government had increased customs duty on the yellow metal three times in 2013. The levy currently stands at 10 per cent.<br /><br />Besides, the Reserve Bank has also linked imports of the metal to exports amid a widening CAD and depreciation of the rupee.<br /><br />Gold imports, which touched a high of 162 tonnes in May, fell to 19.3 tonnes in November in the wake of a series of curbs by both the government and the RBI.<br /><br />The imports in December was a "little higher" than in November, Finance Secretary Sumit Bose told reporters.<br /><br />(PTI)<br /> </div>
