FM Nirmala Sitharaman to address key GoM meetings on GST reforms: Sources

In a first-of-its-kind move, Finance Minister and Chairperson of the GST Council, Nirmala Sitharaman, will directly address Group of Ministers (GoM) meetings to discuss the Centre’s proposal on next-generation GST reforms, sources told CNBC-TV18.

According to sources, the Finance Minister will interact with three crucial GoMs—on Rate Rationalisation, Compensation Cess, and Insurance—to deliberate on the government’s blueprint for simplifying GST and ushering in a two-rate structure.

The schedule of meetings has been finalised:

GoM on Compensation Cess – August 20

Composition for GoM

1. Pankaj Chaudhary, MoS Finance, Convenor
2. Jagdish Devda, DY CM & FM, MP
3. Ajanta Neog, FM, Assam
4. Om Prakash Choudhary, FM, Chhattisgarh
5. Kanubhai Desai, FM, Gujarat
6. Krishna Byre Gowda, FM, Karnataka
7. Harpal Singh Cheema, FM, Punjab
8. Thangam Thennarasu, FM, TN
9. Suresh Kumar Khanna, FM, UP
10. Chandrima Bhattacharya, FM, WB

GoM on Insurance – August 20

Composition for GoM

1. Samrat Choudhary, DY CM, BIHAR — CONVENOR
2. Suresh kumar Khanna, FM, UP
3. Gajendra Singh, Health Minister, Rajasthan
4. Chandrima Bhattacharya, FM, WB
5. Krishna Byre Gowda, Revenue Minister, Karnataka
6. KN Balagopal, FM, Kerala
7. Payyavula Keshav, FM, Andhra Pradesh
8. Pramod Sawant, CM, Goa
9. Kanubhai Desai, FM, Gujarat
10. Conrad K Sangma, CM, Meghalaya
11. Harpal Singh Cheema, FM, Punjab
12. Thangam Thennarasu, FM, TN
13. Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Dy CM, Tenlangana

GoM on Rate Rationalisation – August 21

Composition for GoM

This will be the first time that the Chairperson of the GST Council engages directly with GoM-level discussions, underlining the Centre’s push to fast-track consensus on the reform roadmap.

The government’s reform agenda, as indicated by sources earlier, includes moving towards a simplified GST structure with a 5% standard rate and an 18% merit rate, while keeping a 40% slab for select sin goods.