SHILLONG, JUN 3: The Group of Ministers headed by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma will submit its recommendations for GST concession/exemption to COVID relief material within June 8.
“We will make sure that we submit our recommendations before the 8th of this month,” Sangma told reporters after chairing a meeting of GOM via video conferencing here on Thursday.
The 8-member GOM was constituted by the Finance Ministry to examine the need for GST concession/exemption and make recommendations on COVID vaccines, drugs and medicines for COVID treatment, testing kits for COVID detection.
The other items include medical grade oxygen, pulse oximeters, hand sanitizers, oxygen therapy equipment such as concentrators, generators and ventilators, PPE kits, N95 masks, surgical masks, temperature checking equipment and any other required for COVID relief.
The other members include Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitinbhai Patel, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Goa Minister for Transport & Pachayati Raj, Housing, Protocol and Legislative Affairs Mauvin Godinho, Kerala Minister for Finance KN Balagopal, Telangana Minister for Finance T Harish Rao and UP Minister for Finance Suresh Kr Khanna.
Asked, the Chief Minister said that he would be finalizing the minutes of the meeting and the report within a day or two.
“We are happy with the recommendations and we are hopeful that they will be accepted by the GST Council, which will take a decision on this,” he added.
Refusing to divulge further details on the recommendations, Sangma said the GOM has discussed almost all the items recommended by the GST Fitment Committee and the basic principle was to see tax reductions would give benefit directly to the people.
“Therefore, items that are personal-oriented that people or patients have to directly buy, we made sure that we bring down the concession and the rates to the amount possible so that in these difficult times, maximum relief can be given,” he said.
He further said the GOM also tries to see and balance out the different aspirations and different members of the Council as well as people at large.
“Based on that, large numbers of recommendations have been given and there have been a number of items where we have recommended the rates to be reduced so that the people can directly get the benefit,” he added.
By Our Reporter
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