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On May 15, 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly rebutted media reports that the government is pondering imposing a tax/cess/surcharge on foreign trips to curb strain on finances due to costly crude oil prices. PM Modi said in an unusual intervention on the social media platform X that this was “totally false; there is not an iota of truth in this (referring to the restriction on foreign travel plans). There is no question of putting such restrictions on foreign travel.”

The debate got traction when CNBC (TV18) reported that the government is looking to impose a temporary one-year import duty on travelling abroad for the West Asian tensions. The channel then retracted the story and apologized to the public that it was wrong.

While speaking about the improvement in “Ease of Doing Business” and “Ease of Living," PM Modi also reiterated once again his government's determination in that regard. The Prime Minister's speedy counteroffensive brought tranquility to the minds of frequent travelers, the tourist industry, and the middle class of society.

As the world faces economic difficulties, the issue of placing any extra burden on the general taxpayer is being sensitized. Direct response by Modi has come across as a positive message that the government does not have any agenda of such restrictions.