GST Council

GST Council

Subject :Polity

Context:

• Citing regulations for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, Principal Chief Advisor to West Bengal Chief Minister Amit Mitra urged Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in a letter on Wednesday to call for a meeting of the Council urgently.

What is the issue:

• Amit Mitra urged Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in a letter that the Council has not met over the last four-and-a-half months, in violation of the Rule 6 of the Procedure & Conduct of Business Regulations of the GST Council, according to which it has to meet once in a quarter of a financial year

What is GST Council:

• The GST Council is a joint forum of the Centre and the states.
• It was set up by the President as per Article 279A (1) of the amended Constitution.
• The Council, according to Article 279, is meant to “make recommendations to the Union and the states on important issues related to GST, like the goods and services that may be subjected or exempted from GST, model GST Laws”.
• It also decides on various rate slabs of GST.

What is the composition of GST Council:

• As per Article 279A of the amended Constitution, GST Council shall consist of the following :
• Union Finance Minister(Chairperson)
• The Union Minister of State (MoS) in-charge of Revenue of finance (Member)

The Minister In-charge of taxation or finance or any other Minister nominated by each State Government (Members)