States have welcomed the decisions made at the 57th meeting of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council on Thursday.
They described the latest reforms as an important step towards simplifying the tax regime, easing compliance and resolving concerns among businesses and taxpayers.
Finance ministers and chief ministers from several states praised the meeting’s focus on procedural and structural reforms. They said the changes would make the GST framework more efficient and improve the ease of doing business.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the GST Council brings states together to discuss ways to simplify the tax framework and make it more convenient for citizens.
She said the Council also discussed ways to improve GST implementation and make the system more effective for taxpayers.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant also welcomed the reforms. He said the measures would reduce difficulties for people and make the GST system more convenient.
West Bengal Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta said GST continues to benefit states such as West Bengal, where the tax contributes a significant share of state revenue.
He said the latest structural reforms focused on rationalising provisions and improving the ease of doing business. According to him, these measures would benefit states in the long run by making the system easier to navigate.
Dasgupta acknowledged that the state had faced challenges in ensuring compliance with GST rules. However, he said awareness of compliance requirements had improved. He also described the Council’s discussions as highly positive.
Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna said the GST Council consistently provides a suitable platform for resolving business grievances and simplifying procedures.
He praised the Central government and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for their efforts to make the GST system more taxpayer-friendly and protect businesses from unnecessary difficulties.
Khanna also recalled the rate rationalisation exercise at the September 3 meeting. He said the move had provided relief to ordinary citizens without compromising government revenue.
He said the latest meeting focused on simplifying business procedures, particularly in areas where taxpayers had encountered difficulties.
“From registration to refunds, wherever businesses were facing problems, the processes have now been simplified,” Khanna said.
He described the measures as a major Diwali gift for the business community. He also welcomed the steps aimed at protecting businesses from unnecessary arrests under the GST law.
Khanna said the government had adopted a two-pronged approach: first, it provided relief to consumers through rate rationalisation and then addressed business concerns through procedural reforms.