The new revised GST rates make these essential food items costlier

Goods & Services Tax (GST), is one of the important taxes that define our everyday life. At the 47th GST Council, chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman some revisions were made to the GST rates that have put a 5% hike on several items. Here’s what it means for the common public. (Images courtesy: Canva)

Ever since the council has approved these due to the ‘inefficiencies’ in the value chain changes, all the labelled and pre-packed items will become costlier along with hotel accommodations, non-ICU rooms, LED lamps, Tetra Pak, pre-packed and labelled food items. These new GST rates will add more woes to the already-stretched household budgets. Even the maps & charts along with solar water heater and polished diamonds will become costlier.

From July 18, there will be an 18% GST levied on kitchen items like knives, forks, spoons, ladles, skimmers, and cake servers. This was earlier 12% and has seen a sharp rise of 6%. Not just that, but a rate of 5% will be levied on pre-packed and labelled meat (except frozen), fish, curd, paneer, honey, dried leguminous vegetables, dried makhana, wheat and other cereals, wheat or meslin flour, jaggery, puffed rice (muri), all goods and organic manure and coir pith compost. Also, a 12% GST will now be charged on all forms of mango including mango pulp (other than mangoes sliced, and dried). Raw or fresh mangoes continue to be exempt. Some of these food items earlier were exempted from GST.