Industries Minister advocates for reduction of GST on Apple Cartons
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Shimla, July 11 – Representing the State in the 50th GST Council meeting, Chaired by Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman held at New Delhi today, Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan, strongly advocated for reduction of GST on apple carton boxes.
Negating the recommendations of the fitment committee, which had suggested that the GST rate on apple carton boxes should not be reduced as end use based concessional rates were difficult to administer, the Chairperson, on the request of Sh. Chauhan asked the fitment committee to re-examine the issue and place the matter in the next meeting of the Council.
The Minister strongly suggested that it is possible to administer lower rates on Horticulture packaging boxes, including apples cartons and a detailed presentation pertaining to this was also given on the occasion.
The Minister said that the Council agreed that, on over the counter purchases above Rs. 50,000 made by consumers of a State in another State, the tax must flow to the destination State. The decision of the Council will help increase the GST revenue collection of the State considerably as GST on purchases made by consumers of the State in adjoining Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh was not flowing to the State so far.
In another issue, the Minister placed forth his point that the State has been deprived of considerable revenue on the purchases of vehicles and other goods by the residents of Himachal Pradesh in adjoining markets of neighboring States as these purchases were not treated as inter-state purchases with place of supply as Himachal Pradesh.
Sh. Harshwardhan Chauhan thanked the Union Finance Minister for promptly considering the request of the State.
Commissioner of State Taxes and Excise, Yunus and Additional Commissioner Excise, Rakesh Sharma also attended the meeting.
