GST achieved after a decade but multiple rates is an issue: Ex-RBI official

Former RBI Deputy Governor Rakesh Mohan on Wednesday said the GST rollout was a colossal task achieved after over a decade but the multiplicity of rates still remained a challenge.

"GST has been achieved after a decade. Multiple rates is an issue," Mohan said here at the 'Economics and Governance' event organised by Penguin publishers.

The Goods and Services Tax has tax-slabs of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent. Gold is at a special rate of 3 per cent.

In addition to the tax rates, there is also a cess rate on luxury and sin goods like high-end cars, aerated drinks and tobacco and tobacco products which results in further variations in effective rates of taxation under the new indirect tax regime.

The former RBI officer said India needed to focus on health and education to achieve a higher growth rate.

"Health and education is a challenge. We have the worst health and education indices. India can't grow at 10 per cent without major improvements in these sectors," he said.

"Improving the two sectors is the biggest task before us in the next five years," he added. "Agriculture also has been completely neglected so far."