Assam Environment and Forest Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah asked for greater administrative flexibility for destination states within the Goods and Services Tax framework during the GST Council meeting.
The 57th GST Council meeting took place at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, where officials approved a sweeping package of enforcement and procedural reforms. Assam Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah shared his suggestion based on the
practical experiences of consumer states within the existing national indirect tax architecture. He emphasised that empowering senior-level administrative officials is essential for smooth execution.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the GST Council will consider changes to tax rates
only once a year, with decisions taking effect from April 1. No GST rates were changed at the meeting, which focused on simplifying compliance and reducing disputes. The general penalty for offences with no specific penalty was
slashed from Rs 25,000 to Rs 10,000. Furthermore, the Council approved fast-tracked automated refunds where businesses will receive 90 per cent of claimed refunds within 13 days.
