CAIT urges Nirmala Sitharaman to reduce GST on beverages to support small retail, kirana outlets

Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), which represents around 8 crore traders in the country, urged finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to reduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST)

on beverages which constitute almost 30 per cent of the total turnover of small retail outlets such as kirana shops, pan shops, general stores, hawkers etc.

Currently, GST and cess levied on beverages comes to 40 per cent which heavily blocks the working capital of small retailers, CAIT said.

“If this is lowered rationally, it will increase the turnover of small shops which will yield more revenue to central and state governments,” said CAIT National President BC Bhartia and Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal in a statement.