Unbranded packaged foods to be brought under GST

Unbranded pre-packaged food items, hotels with room rent less than Rs 1,000 to be brought under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) net seems to be the decision of the GST Council.

The two-day GST Council meeting at Chandigarh began on Tuesday.

It is said the Council at its 47th meeting has decided to bring pre-packaged and labelled food items such as wheat flour, paneer, puffed rice and other items under the GST net in order to avoid disputes.

The branded cereals attract GST while the non-branded do not.

Further, the Council will be removing the exemption given to hotels with room tariff of less than Rs 1,000 per day and also decided to correct the inverted duty structure for several items like LED lamps, edible oils, solar water heaters and others.

It is also said that the Council has agreed to increase GST on electronic waste from 5 per cent to 18 per cent; levy tax on cheque book and loose leaf cheques; to withdraw exemption on warehousing of taxable items like sugar and others; hike tax rates on LED lamps, knives, blades, power driven pumps, spoons, forks, dairy machinery by six per cent to 18 per cent.

The Council will decide on extending the GST compensation date that is ending on June 30 with several state Finance Ministers demanding the same.