GST overhaul a people's reform, will benefit every family: FM Sitharaman

Calling the landmark goods and service tax (GST) overhaul a 'people's reform', Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday, September 6, said that rationalisation of rates for a wide swath of products will benefit every family, boost consumption, and bolster the economy.

In an interview with Press Trust of India (PTI), the FM said she will personally monitor passing on GST rate cuts in the form of price reduction but hastened to add that industry has shown positivity towards such cuts.

Within days of the decision, from car makers to public sector insurance companies, and shoe and apparel brands have already announced significant price cuts and the rest are likely to follow suit by the time new GST rates are implemented.

Nearly 400 products: from soaps to cars, shampoos to tractors and air conditioners, will cost less when the rejig of the GST is effective from the first day of Navaratri on September 22. Premium paid on individual health and life insurance will be tax-free. A third rate of 40% has been earmarked for a small list of sin goods and ultra-luxury items.

"This is a reform which touches the lives of all 140 crore people. There is no individual in this country who is untouched by GST. The poorest of the poor also have something small that they buy, touched by GST," she said.

Starting September 22, the GST slab structure will change: 5% for common use goods, and 18 % for everything else. The existing slab of 12 and 28% rates have been done away with.

In the revamped GST structure, most daily food and grocery items will fall under the 5% GST slab with bread, milk, and paneer attracting no tax at all.

Sitharaman said the reform, the single biggest since the 2017 rollout of the one-nation, one tax regime, has been carried out with a focus on the common man. Every tax on daily use items has gone through a rigorous review and in most cases the rates have come down drastically.

While the significant relief in income tax that she gave in her Budget in February this year left more money in the hands of common people, the GST rejig will allow for greater spending, making things more affordable.

"People do understand for example, Rs 100 with which they go to the shop to buy a thing. Today, the same Rs 100 they can buy one and a half of the commodity. Earlier, they bought one," she said.

So this rate reduction is going to bring down monthly household ration and medical bills, as well as help aspirational buying like upgrading from car, replacing white goods like refrigerator or washing machine.

"There is not going to be one family which is going to be without this positive impact of the GST touching them... 140 crore people are going to benefit from this in one way or the other. So this will boost consumption, and as a result, I think the virtuous cycle will start," she said.

Asked about monitoring mechanism for ensuring passing on of GST rate cut benefit, Sitharaman said the ministry has been talking with industry and trade.

"They've all come out openly to say we will pass this on. So, I can see the positivity from industry and trade... I'm very confident they will pass it on," she said. "I have said from September 22 my main focus in my job would be to watch out and see if it is getting passed on and where it is not getting passed on, I will engage with industry and say that they have to."

On inflation, she said, it is already well under control and this cut in the GST will actually bring people out to consume more. "There is no doubt about it."

The FM highlighted that the reforms go far beyond rate cuts. They also focus on making it easier for businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, to operate.

Simplified compliance norms, faster refunds, and easier registration are part of the reform package, she added.

Under the new framework, 90% of refunds will be processed within a stipulated time, and companies will be able to register within three days.

The GST overhaul, she said, addresses confusion over classification of products by bringing similar goods in the same tax bracket.

A classic example of the simplification is the popcorn. Popcorn mixed with salt and spice will attract 5%, irrespective of whether it is sold loose or pre-packed. Earlier, salted popcorn, which was pre-packed, attracted a 12% tax while caramel popcorn was taxed at 18%.

Similarly, the GST on cream buns has been revised to 5% from the earlier 18%.

Earlier, there was confusion on cream buns as they were taxed 18%, but buns and cream were separately taxed at 5%. All these confusions have been sorted out in the overhaul.