States get nearly 75% of health, life insurance GST: FM – Times of India

States get nearly 75% of health, life insurance GST: FM – Times of India



NEW DELHI: Hitting out on the Opposition over the demand for removing GST on well being and life insurance coverage, FM Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday mentioned round three quarters of the income collected goes to the states and those that are protesting ought to take up the matter with their state finance ministers.
“I need to elevate two vital factors — tax has been there on medical insurance coverage even earlier than the introduction of GST.There was already a pre-GST tax on medical insurance coverage, earlier than the GST was launched. This isn’t a brand new challenge, it was already there in all of the states. These protesting right here… did they focus on relating to the removing of this tax of their states?” Sitharaman mentioned within the Lok Sabha in what was govt’s first response on the difficulty after the latest calls for to cast off the levy on the 2 merchandise. The minister mentioned that states have two-thirds illustration in GST Council with Centre having one-third say.
She identified that 73-74% of GST on life and medical insurance coverage collected final yr, and including as much as Rs 12,264 crore, went to states.
The 18% GST contains 9% that’s collected by the Centre and an equal quantity goes to the states. As well as, of the 9% central GST, 41% is transferred to the states consistent with the Finance Fee’s devolution system. Earlier than GST was carried out in July 2017, govt used to levy 15% service tax and the GST Council, which includes states and union FM, fastened the speed at 18%.
Govt and the finance ministry particularly is of the view that charges and insurance policies associated to GST are a shared accountability of the Centre and the states because the omnipotent GST Council is the deciding authority. The Opposition-ruled states have, nevertheless, sought to place the blame on the Centre for any coverage choice or charges that don’t go well with them, officers mentioned.
Curiously, the demand for removing GST on well being and life insurance coverage got here from transport minister Nitin Gadkari, who took up the cudgels on behalf of LIC’s worker union from Nagpur.







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