Computers, mobile phones, tractors and gas stoves will become cheaper with the lowering of duties proposed in the Union Budget 2004-05 while imitation jewellery, steel, cakes and pastries and scented supari will become costlier.

The government on Thursday exempted computers and tractors from excise duty as also customs duty from specified raw materials used in manufacture of parts of cathode ray tubes and capital goods for manufacture of mobile telephone handsets in the Budget tabled in Parliament by Finance Minister P Chidambaram.

Apart from these, pens and ball point pens, non-alcoholic beverages such as chocolate and malted food drinks, branded and packaged preparations of meat, fish and poultry would also become cheaper with reduction or exemption in excise duties.

However, items such as steel, contact lens, playing cards, candles, prefabricated buildings, laboratory glassware, plastic insulated ware, clocks and watches will become costlier.

Rehabilitation kits such as braille computer terminals, hearing aids, talking books, walking frames, wheel chairs, crutches will become cheaper with duties being proposed to be brought down in the Budget.

Apart from these, rough coloured gemstones, platinum, certain textile items, textile machinery, patented leather, footwear will also become cheaper.

While cooking gas stoves will become cheaper, matches made in mechanised and semi-mechanised sectors will become expensive as also iron and steel, specified part of pre-fabricated buildings such as blocks, slabs, concrete beams and stairs, monochrome television receievers will become costlier.