Minister for Commercial Taxes Brajendra Singh Rathore represented State of Madhya Pradesh at the 37th meeting of GST Council held in Goa today.

He presented the State Government’s stand on several points. Rathore said that the amount of compensation cess should be kept as it is till June 2022.

Rathore said that the e-way bill should be implemented on transportation of gold, silver and gemstones jewelry etc.

When these expensive metal and gemstone jewellery are transported, the present limit may be increased from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh and the provisions of e-way bill should be applied only for inter-state sale. Rathore said that as per the GST rules, if the state government or any of its agencies give any land in the form of industrial plot to an industry or a plot to develop it for financial purposes, then the lease rent on such leased land is exempted from GST.

Rathore further said that present time is a time of liberalization, where Government is playing an important role as a facilitator in providing opportunities to boost private business organisations, at the same time it is essential for the private business institutions also to come forward in rendering cooperation to the government.

In such a situation, if the Government or the Government institution gives land on lease to any private entity or commercial organisation for the construction of a tourism hotel resort or industrial park, etc, then the GST should also be exempted.

Rathore supported the proposal to reduce the rate of tax on hotels with rent above Rs 7500 per day from 28 to 18 percent and 12 percent for hotels ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 7,500 and to exempt hotels with rent below Rs 1,000 per day from the tax.

The Commercial Taxes Minister Rathore, while apprising the GST Council of the difficulties faced in submitting the 4th Annual Statement, also told for its simplification.