New Delhi, December 30 (IANS). The GST Council may consider reducing the tax on air and water purifiers from 18 percent to 5 percent in the next meeting.
In many reports, quoting sources, it was informed that the government is considering changing the classification of these two products from consumer goods to essential products.
If this happens, the affordability of air and water purifiers will increase and their prices will come down by 10-15 percent, due to which a large number of people will be able to buy these products easily.
Reports said that at present the date of the next meeting of the GST Council has not been decided. Before this, the last 56th meeting of the GST Council was held in September. During that period the rates on these products were kept unchanged.
Recently, the Delhi High Court had told the government that considering the air quality of Delhi NCR, if necessary, the tax on air purifiers should be reduced or abolished through a virtual meeting.
Additional Solicitor General N Venkataraman told the court and argued that the meetings should be face-to-face. Also said, “A process is going on but we are not saying whether it will be done or not.”
The Delhi High Court said that if clean air cannot be ensured for citizens, then at least the GST on air purifiers should be reduced.
The court made this statement during the hearing on a public interest litigation (PLI) seeking to declare air purifiers as medical devices and had asked the Center to issue immediate instructions regarding granting temporary GST exemption.
According to the PIL, high-efficiency air purifiers play a preventive medical role by reducing exposure to PM 2.5, PM 10 and other hazardous pollutants.
–IANS
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