GST rates hiked for LED lights, solar water heaters, tetra packs

After the recommendations that were taken up in the two-day 47th GST Council meeting in Chandigarh on Wednesday, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) were hiked for numerous items including LED lamps, solar water heater and various job works, informed the officials.

The GST on printing/writing or drawing ink, LED lamps, lights and fixtures and their metal printed circuit board has been hiked to 18 per cent from 12 per cent.

The GST rate on solar water heaters and systems has been hiked to 12 per cent from 5 per cent.

GST rate on job work in relation to manufacture of leather goods and footwear has been increased to 12 per cent from 5 per cent, besides rate on works contract for roads, bridges, railways, metro, effluent treatment plant, crematorium being increased to 18 per cent from 12 per cent.

Further, the Council has also increased the rate on tetra pack to 18 per cent from 12 per cent and rate on cut and polished diamonds to 1.5 per cent from 0.25 per cent.

The Council also recommended cutting the rate on certain items.

GST rate on ostomy, certain orthopaedic appliances has been reduced to 5 per cent from 12 per cent, besides lowering the rate on transport of goods and passengers by ropeways to 5 per cent from 18 per cent.

The Council reduced the rate on renting of truck/goods carriage where the cost of fuel is included to 12 per cent from 18 per cent.

The rate changes recommended by the GST Council will be effective from July 18, 2022.

The Chairman of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes (CBIC) Vivek Johri said that GST Council has done rate rationalization to remove the inverted duty structure.

"Those items where rate have been increased would not have much impact on consumers as most of the items are used in business to business activities," Vivek Johri told ANI.

"Items like Printing, writing or drawing ink, knives with cutting blades, Paper knives, Pencil sharpeners and blades therefor, Spoons, forks, ladles, skimmers, cake-servers will not have much impact on consumers, said Johri, adding that there are some relief to consumers too," he added.

The Group of Ministers set up headed by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Casino, Race Course and Online Gaming will re-examine the issues in its terms of reference based on further inputs from States and submit its report by July 15 finalized in the GST council meeting which is scheduled to be held in Madurai in the first week of August.

(ANI)