The chairmanship of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on rationalisation of Goods and Services Tax rate may have to change hands with Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant joining the committee.
The group is currently headed by Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary. Two weeks ago, Sawant replaced Mauvin Godinho, Goa’s transport minister, in the fare rationalisation group.
Incidentally, Sawant was recently appointed as coordinator of another GoM to improve the real estate sector under GST.
However, it is not yet clear whether a decision to change the leadership of the GoM’s rate rationalisation group has been taken. According to sources, the protocol would mean that a chief minister would head the group instead of a deputy chief minister.
The issue is of particular importance as the tariff rationalisation committee is due to meet in the coming weeks.
« A substantial amount of work has been done with the rate rationalisation panel. During the 54th GST Council, the panel will present the progress report on the work that has been done so far, » Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said at the last GST meeting in Delhi.
The official memorandum on the GST Council Secretariat website mentions Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna and Rajasthan Health and Medical Services Minister Gajendra Singh as other members of the reconstituted panel.
The GoM was initially established in September 2021 under the leadership of the then Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
Under Bommai’s leadership, the panel submitted an interim report in June 2022, recommending changes in tax rates to streamline GST collection.
Following the change of government in Karnataka after the May 2023 assembly elections, Byre Gowda took over as Revenue Minister, leading to another reconstitution of the panel in October 2023 with UP Finance Minister Khanna as convener.
The 54th meeting of the GST Council, scheduled to be held in the second half of August, is expected to begin discussions on rate rationalisation.