GST Council meets in New Delhi today

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council is meeting in New Delhi today. The meeting, to be chaired by Finance Minister Piyush Goyal, will discuss the concerns and suggestions of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, among other issues. 

The 29th meeting of the Council is also likely to discuss the recommendations of the Group of Ministers, headed by Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, which approved a proposal yesterday for incentivising digital payments through Rupay card and BHIM app by way of



cashbacks. 

Once implemented, customers making payments using Rupay card or BHIM UPI will get a cashback of 20 per cent of the total GST amount, subject to a maximum of 100 rupees. 

The Bihar Deputy Chief Minister said the move is intended to encourage the use of the digital mode of payment, especially in semi-urban and rural areas. In its last meeting, the Council had reduced tax rates on over 80 items and exempted sanitary napkins, rakhis, stone, marble, wooden deities and Saal leaves from GST.