Chandigarh, June 12: Haryana Deputy Chief Minister, Sh. Dushyant Chautala informed that the Central Government has reduced the existing 28 per cent tax on ambulances to 12 per cent. The Deputy Chief Minister had earlier raised this demand from the GST Council.
The Deputy Chief Minister, who also holds the portfolio of Excise and Taxation Department, gave this information today through video conferencing after attending the GST Council meeting held under the chairmanship of Union Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that the GST Council has accepted all the suggestions of the six-member committee of ‘Group of Ministers’ which was constituted to determine the GST on Covid-related items. The state of Haryana had given two suggestions, firstly in relation to extending the time limit for exemption of GST rate on Covid goods and secondly to reduce the existing tax on electric crematoriums.
He also informed that as suggested by the state, the exemption limit on GST was increased from August 31 to September 30. Also, the second suggestion with regard to the existing tax on electric crematorium, the tax has been reduced to 5 per cent. He said that in the present times ambulances are an important part of health services for timely admission of critical patients in hospitals. In view of this, the GST Council has reduced the tax on ambulances from 28 per cent earlier to 12 per cent. Similarly, the tax on thermometers has also been reduced to 5 per cent.
Sh. Dushyant Chautala said that reducing the tax on items related to Covid with a uniform tax system across the country will help in tackling the pandemic.