Govt sources say cess is a better option than high tax rate

The other option could have been to raise direct taxes, which did not find favour with the Centre

Just a week before the next Goods and Service Tax (GST) Council meeting on November 3 and 4, the view of states being compensated through a cess rather than a hike in the proposed GST rate has gained strength, with the Centre telling them that an increase in the tax rate has to yield around Rs 1.72 lakh crore. On the other hand, a cess which will yield Rs 50,000 crore a year would be enough to compensate states.

The Centre has proposed a four-slab structure — 6 per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent and 26 per