Council Members Opposed Inclusion Of Petroleum Products Under GST: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday (17 September) said that a majority of state governments opposed the inclusion of petroleum products under the GST.

Addressing the media after the conclusion of the Council's 45th meeting -- and the first held in a physical format after start of the Covid-19 pandemic, she said that the issue was deliberated at the meeting, after it was added to the agenda at the last moment on the back of a Kerala High Court order.

Sitharaman said the Council members did not see find the current situation appropriate to bring petroleum products under the GST.

"There has been a lot of speculation on whether petroleum products will be brought under the ambit of GST. I make it absolutely clear that this came on today's agenda purely because of the Kerala High Court order where it suggested the matter to be placed before GST Council," Sitharaman was quoted by Economic Times as saying.

"GST Council Members made it clear they do not want petroleum products to be included under GST. We will report to Kerala High Court that the matter has been discussed and Council felt it was not the time to bring petroleum products under GST," the Finance Minister added.

It was widely speculated that bringing petroleum products under GST might be initiated to lower the record high prices of petrol and diesel.

(With inputs from IANS)