Over 100 items of use to common man are set to get cheaper as the Goods and Services Council is looking to revise them downward in its meeting early in September.

Most of the goods, rates on which are set to be lowered are stationery items used by students. The existing GST rates on stationery items such as geometry boxes, pencil sharpeners, fountain pen and ball pen inks range from 5% to 12%. In case of note books the taxes are as high as 18%.

“There have been representations for lowering the rates certain items of mass consumption by educational institutions.

Certain other small businesses have also demanded rate adjustments. The council in its next meeting is expected to take into consideration the demands,” an official involved with the development told DH.

On the agenda for revision are also the rates of plywood, plastic raincoats and oil cake. Plywood which is mostly used by industry is currently taxed at 28%. Industry has demanded it to be lowered to 18%.

The next GST Council is meeting is taking place in Hyderabad on September 9. This will be the 21st meeting of the GST Council since it was launched and the third since the new indirect tax was launched on July 1.

The council so far has re-adjusted rates of more than 80 items and 19 services. In the last meeting, the rates on textile job works were revised downwards giving relief to one of India’s largest employer industry.

The council had also cut rates on tractor parts to give relief to farm sector.

Since the next meeting is taking place in Hyderabad, the Telangana government has recently said it would raise the issue of tax concession for beedi industry and granite.

100 items of common man's use to get cheaper