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Leading FMCG major HUL on Friday said that while reduced GST rates will support long-term consumption, short-term order postponement due to anticipation of lower tax led to "near flat to low-single digit" business growth in the September quarter. HUL, which owns popular brands like Lux, Rin, Surf Excel, and Ponds, has witnessed a transitory impact "in the form of disruption at distributors and retailers" across channels to clear existing inventories at old prices. "This has resulted in postponement of ordering in anticipation of receiving new stocks with updated prices and lower orders across the overall portfolio as consumers delayed their pantry buying," said HUL in a regulatory filing. This disruption resulted in a short-term impact on sales for the company in the September quarter. "Given our existing pipeline inventory in the channels, we expect this impact to continue into October as well," he said. Though these reforms are expected to increase disposable income and drive ..