Hyderabad: The GST Council has lowered tax rates for a number of daily-use products ranging from idli/dosa batter to kitchen gas lighter.
After an eight-hour long meeting of the Council here, finance minister Arun Jaitley said GST on about 30 items have been lowered after anomalies in the fixation of rates were pointed out.
The products which would get cheaper include dried tamarind, custard power, oil cakes, dhoop batti, dhoop and other similar items, plastic raincoast, rubber bands, rice rubber rolls for paddy de-husking, computer monitors and kitchen gas lighters and brooms and brushes.
The Council has also decided to fix the loophole to prevent manufacturers of branded food items selling their products as unbranded ones or deregistering their brands to save the 5 per cent tax.
Accordingly, Mr Jaitley said food products manufactured by any company which has a registered trademark on May 15 or any company which has an exclusive mark or name will attract a levy of 5 per cent.
He also said that Khadi fabric sold through KVIC stores would be exempted, and artisans need not register for GST for conducting interstate sales, if their annual turnover is less than Rs 20 lakh.
