CHENNAI: Finance Minister D Jayakumar on Saturday reiterated the reduction of and exemption from GST for around 50 items. The demands of Tamil Nadu government are under the consideration of the GST council.
Answering queries of media persons at Delhi after attending the monthly meeting of the GST Council, the minister said exemption of GST was sought for the following items: clothes made of silk, ‘thirumangalyam’, ‘kolusu’, ‘metti’ and ‘araignan kayiru’ (string worn around waist) made of silver, mat made of bulrush, nutritious flour used for anganwadi children, outsourcing services offered by educational institutions, life insurance services, spectacles and its accessories, minor works relating to printing, sago, dried fish, rice bran, fried groundnuts, idli and dosa batter, fishing nets, 20 litre drinking water cans, handloom weaving, powerloom weaving and job works in weaving sector.
The Minister urged the GST Council to reduce the tax on all job works in textile industry from 18 per cent to five per cent. Similarly, the 28 per cent GST on cracker industry should be reduced, considering the fact that higher tax rate would affect many small units involved in cracker making. He said uniform tax should be fixed for all kinds of match boxes. The GST on ‘kadalai mittai’ (sweet candy made of groundnut) should be reduced from 18 per cent to five per cent. The tax on unbranded candies and pickles should be brought down to five per cent. The tax on micro-nutrients used for agriculture should be reduced from 12 to 5 per cent.
Stating that the tax on pumpsets should be reduced to 5 per cent, he said biscuits sold above `100 should be taxed at 18 per cent while those below `100 should be taxed at 5 per cent. Since wet grinder is one of the equipment used in all houses, the tax on it should be slashed from 28 to 12 per cent. Tax on compressor, steel, plastic furniture and electronic weighing machines should be reduced from 28 to 18 per cent. The tax on recycled plastic should also be reduced from 18 to 12 per cent.