A comprehensive review: GST Council needs to address all aspects

The idea should be to simplify the structure. This will increase compliance and reduce disputes

The group of state finance ministers (GoM), led by Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, formed to recommend measures for rationalising the structure of goods and services tax (GST), is reported to have finalised its recommendations, including significant adjustments to the tax rates of 148 items. However, some of the recommendations, as reported by this newspaper, are not in the right direction. In this regard, it is worth recalling why the process is being undertaken. There are at least two big reasons. First, the system has underperformed over the years, partly because of premature rate reduction. Last financial year, tax