New Delhi: The 57th meeting of the GST Council, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on Thursday discussed a series of measures aimed at simplifying the Goods and Services Tax regime, speeding up processes and making compliance more transparent and taxpayer-friendly.
Odisha Law, Works and Excise Minister Prithviraj Harichandan, representing Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, attended the meeting and presented the state’s views on key GST reforms.
The proposed measures are aimed particularly at reducing compliance-related difficulties faced by small businesses, MSMEs and genuine taxpayers, while supporting the broader objective of ease of doing business and the vision of a “Viksit Bharat by 2047”.
Among the key proposals was system-based processing and sanction of GST refunds to enable eligible taxpayers to receive refunds faster and with greater transparency.
The Council also considered allowing refunds of input tax credit (ITC) on capital goods used for zero-rated supplies, besides ITC on input services and capital goods under the inverted duty structure. The measures are expected to benefit exporters and help manufacturers improve working capital availability.
Simplification of the GST registration process, along with clearer guidelines and practical tools, was also proposed, with the measures expected to particularly help businesses in rural and semi-urban areas.
Recommendations concerning GST return filing and an alternative mechanism for rectification of liabilities and ITC, prepared by the Working Group on GST Returns and Processes, were also discussed. The Odisha GST team was a member of the working group.
Odisha also contributed to process-related refund reforms through the GST Law Committee, according to the release.
The Council further proposed removing arrest provisions for economic offences that can be adequately addressed under the GST law, with the aim of maintaining an appropriate balance between enforcement and taxpayer confidence.
The proposed reforms are expected to make the GST framework more predictable, transparent and responsive while providing relief to MSMEs and small businesses in Odisha and enabling them to focus more on growth and expansion.
