Naidu Hails GST Changes, Congratulates PM Modi and Finance Minister

The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Chandrababu Naidu, has expressed his approval of the GST reforms, extending his congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. He welcomed the revised GST slabs, especially those affecting daily necessities, education, healthcare, and agriculture. Naidu emphasized that these reforms represent a growth-focused decision that would support all sectors of society, including farmers and businesses. The recent actions taken by the GST Council, following extensive discussion, resulted in noteworthy rate cuts across various sectors. The government sees these changes as beneficial. Specifically, essential household items like hair oil, shampoo, toothpaste, and soap have seen a drop in their GST rate from 18% to 5%. Products such as butter, ghee, cheese, and pre-packaged snacks also experienced a GST rate reduction from 12% to 5%. Utensils, feeding bottles, baby napkins, and diapers have also become cheaper. The agricultural sector is expected to profit from the reforms, as tractor tires, components, and tractors themselves will now be taxed at lower rates. The government has also lowered the GST on specific bio-pesticides, micro-nutrients, and irrigation equipment.