By Md Ilyas

Copyright deccanchronicle

Vijayawada: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday released the booklet of all the Telugu GOs issued on the latest GST reforms, here on Sunday while reviewing state taxes with officials.He said the Centre’s GST rate cut, effective from Monday, would pave the way for growth in the health, agricultural, dairy, education and several other sectors. Naidu stated, “In a major step towards bringing administration nearer to people, the commercial taxes department issued 11 GOs in Telugu language for the first time, to reach information to the common man. As a result, people can read Tax GOs in their mother tongue, Telugu, easily.” The two-tier GST 2.0 next gen reforms, he said, would strengthen the national economy with an additional revenue of `2 lakh crore. “The next Gen GST reforms introduced with an aim of the ‘people first” policy will benefit every household, farmers, students and several sectors. The new GST reforms are expected to provide a dividend of `8000 crore to AP people.” The increasing purchasing power with reduced GST would help the growth of the MSME sector and employment generation. The reforms, also focusing on health, lifted GST on some of the life-saving medicines and health insurance premiums, he said. Recalling that the state assembly passed a resolution supporting the GST reforms, Naidu said the rationalisation of the GST structure would enhance transparency in the tax system. “The reforms would contribute to the sustained growth trajectory of the national economy.” He said, “The new GST reforms provide a great relief to common man with reduced prices of essential commodities with a cut in GST from 18 per cent to 5 per cent. For example, the GST on butter, ghee, paneer, soaps, shampoo, toothpaste and hair oil, processed food, biscuits and coffee was reduced to 5 per cent. Pasteurised milk, packaged paneer and breads were exempted from GST.” Giving a great relief to middle-class sections, he said, the GST on two wheelers, small cars, TVs, ACs and cement was reduced to 18 per cent from 28 per cent. GST on sweets, chocolates and ice creams was reduced to 5 per cent.” As for the Agri sector and farmers, the CM said farmers would benefit in a big way with a cut in GST from 12 per cent to 5 per cent on agricultural inputs and tractors. The reduced GST slabs are expected to increase sales from 5 per cent to 10 per cent and a savings of `1 lakh crore for consumers, he said. Saying the tourism sector too would get a boost with the GST reforms, Naidu said that the tax on handlooms and handicrafts has been reduced to 5 per cent to protect the interests of traditional artisans and provide the nation an opportunity for an increase in exports of traditional Yetikoppaka and Kondapalli toys and handlooms. Meanwhile, on the eve of the new GST implementation, AP’s chief commissioner of taxes and commercial taxes, Babu A, said, “Anything read in one’s mother tongue reaches the heart easily. The innovative move of the commercial taxes department to issue a booklet in Telugu has been hailed by all the stakeholders in both the Telugu states, including thousands of dealers, accountants, officers, staff and professionals.”