Supriya Sule calls for GST rationalisation ahead of 54th meeting 

Focusing on the soaring food inflation, Supriya Sule reiterated her demand for the removal of GST on essential commodities like pulses, cereals, and dairy products. She called the 12% GST on dairy items such as butter and ghee ‘unacceptable’ 

Ahead of the 54th GST Council meeting on Monday (September 9, 2024), NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule has called for urgent action on various issues related to GST rates, including the need to rationalise taxes on essential goods and services, particularly in the sectors of food, healthcare, education, and renewables, amidst rising unemployment, food inflation, and a slowing GDP growth rate.

“Given the current economic climate, it is essential that the government eases the financial burden on our citizens by rationalising taxes on important goods and services,” she said.

Speaking to The Hindu, Ms. Sule targeted her cousin, Maharashtra’s finance minister, Ajit Pawar, over his repeated absence from previous GST Council meetings.

“As the sole representative of Maharashtra’s 13 crore citizens, the finance minister’s absence has left the State without a voice on crucial GST-related decisions,” she said, urging Mr. Pawar to attend the meeting to advocate for State’s interests.

Focusing on the soaring food inflation, she reiterated her demand for the removal of GST on essential commodities like pulses, cereals, and dairy products. She called the 12% GST on dairy items such as butter and ghee “unacceptable.” “The 12% GST rate on butter, ghee, and other dairy products is simply unacceptable,” the four-time MP from Pune’s Baramati said.

Agriculture, another critical area, saw a mere 2% growth in the first quarter of 2024, she said. “This is not a temporary dip; agriculture has been in a long-term slump for the past decade. High GST rates on essential agricultural products, such as fertilisers and machinery, have exacerbated the distress in the sector. If we are to revive agriculture in India, there must be 0% GST on the entire sector,” Ms. Sule, daughter of NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar, and the party’s national working president, said.

She urged Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to also reduce GST rates on healthcare products and services, particularly for senior citizens. “India’s out-of-pocket health expenditure continues to hover around 50%, a staggeringly high figure compared to the global average of 17.05%. The government must work to ease this burden of healthcare costs on our citizens by reducing the high GST rates on various healthcare products and services, particularly for senior citizens,” she said.