THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: There is good news for rubber growers as the state government, in association with tyre manufacturers, has worked to a Bangkok-linked price band, which on Thursday’s estimates worked out to more than Rs 130 per kilo of rubber sheet.

The daily market price on RSS4 at Bangkok would be the benchmark. As per the international rates (Thailand), Rubber Board will announce daily rates of rubber.

Along with this price, a combined 20 percent customs duty and 5 percent purchase tax would be collected by the production units or agents which would be collected from dealers.

2.5 percent VAT would be considered as refund claim. “This would be applicable to RSS 4 grade rubber, considered to be the largest type of rubber produced by the farmers in the State.

This would come in to effect as per the date of the notification (19/12/2014 to 31/03/2015) and this is only for rubber sheets and not for latex.

Chief Secretary E. K. Bharat Bhushan and Rubber Board chairman A. Jayathilak will supervise the implementation, said Mr Chandy.

The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy with 12 tyre companies at Secretariat. Representatives of MRF, Bridgestone, JK Tyres, Apollo, Ceat, Good Year, Malayalam Plantations Ltd, Indian Rubber Growers Federation and Indian Rubber Dealers attended.

Industry minister P. K. Kunhalikutty, Finance Minister K. M. Mani, Rural Development minister K. C. Joseph, additional chief secretary K. M. Abraham, principal secretary P. H. Kurien, CM’s principal secretary Subrata Biswas and Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) secretary general Sheela Thomas also attended the meeting.