Congress Calls for GST Council to Focus on Cooperative Federalism, Not Headlines

By A Staff Reporter

The Congress on Saturday urged that deliberations of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council should prioritize strengthening cooperative federalism rather than being used for “headline-grabbing” announcements.

Addressing the media, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said opposition-ruled states have expressed support for rationalizing GST by reducing the number of tax slabs and cutting rates on mass consumption items. However, he stressed that safeguards must be in place to ensure that the benefit of such reductions reaches consumers directly.

“Opposition-ruled states have extended their support to cut the number of GST rate slabs and the rates for mass consumption items, while demanding a mechanism to ensure the benefits get passed on to consumers,” Ramesh stated.

The Congress leader underscored that the GST Council was envisaged as an instrument of cooperative federalism, requiring consensus and transparency in decision-making. He argued that frequent changes or announcements designed only to attract attention risk undermining the Council’s credibility.