What govt feared did not happen, otherwise main source of income would have been affected

NEW DELHI: GST has been waived on imported cancer drug Dinutuximab and rare disease drug, for private consumption. These are medicines worth lakhs. The GST Council meeting held yesterday decided to exempt food that is part of special treatment (food for special medical purpose) from tax.

Meantime, 28 % GST will be imposed on online gaming, gambling and horse racing. Kerala is relieved that lottery was not included in the limits of gambling. State Finance Minister K N Balagopal was worried that lottery would also come under the limit.

After one and a half years long talks, the decision regarding tax on online games and gambling was taken. The council rejected the demand of Goa and Sikkim to exclude them.

Tribunal benches will be set up at Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram to adjudicate GST complaints from 2017 onwards. The bench will have a judicial member and a technical member with experience in the field. Their selection process will start soon.

States including Kerala opposed the central move to make GSTN information a part of the Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The concern of traders that tax information will be misused by ED has been pointed out. However, Nirmala Sitharaman assured that there will be no misuse. There was an argument between Delhi Finance Minister Atishi and Nirmala on the issue.

The decision on tax related to works in local self-government bodies has been postponed. Kerala demanded that central and state governments should share tax revenue in the ratio of 60-40 and continue GST compensation.

Bill tightened to carry gold

The council accepted the recommendation of the sub-committee chaired by K N Balagopal to tighten the authorized document or e-way bill for transporting gold worth more than Rs 2 lakh within the states. Kerala Kaumudi had reported yesterday that it will be tightened. The minister said will decide later on how much of gold can be carried.

Theater meals to go cheaper

GST has been made 5 % for food in cinema halls. It is 18 % presently

Uncooked snack pallets, fish soluble paste tax has been made 5 %

Private sector satellite launch excluded from GST purview

The tax rate on imitation zari threads has been reduced from 12 to 5 %

22% cess for SUVs