The prices of flat screen LCD TVs are unlikely to come down as the electronics industry is in no mood to pass on benefit of basic custom duty cut to the customs.

It was earlier presumed that LCD TVs may become cheaper, following government's move to cut duty from 10 per cent to 5 per cent in the Union budget presented by Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, on July 7.

Two major LCD TV manufacturers - LG and Samsung - claimed that high input costs restrict them to revise prices in line with recent duty cut. Amitabh Tiwari, Business Head, LG Electronics India Pvt. Ltd, said that the cost of module for LCD TVs is shooting up at the rate of 30 per cent since July. Thus, the company is not in the position to pass the benefits of custom duty cut to the customers.

Mr. Tiwari added: "We increased our LCD TV prices by an average of 5 per cent from July 1, and are not in a position to roll it back immediately. The drop in customs duty will perhaps help us in absorbing some increase going forward."