The Great GST Divide

Why the GST council has become a battleground for a turf war between centre and states

- Ashutosh Kumar

Tamil Nadu Finance Minister P. Thiaga Rajan’s speech at the 43rd meeting of the GST Council on May 28 could not have been music to Centre’s ears. Referring to delay in payment of GST compensation to states, unilateral decisions such as imposition of cesses (whose proceeds go to only the Centre) and the overall distrust between central and state governments, the former Wall Street veteran said “rancour in the relationship” has set in. Finance ministers of Kerala, Punjab and Maharashtra pitched in and questioned Centre’s plan to raise more debt in FY22 to compensate states for revenue loss due to GST implementation despite expectations of revenue buoyancy. The “rancour” even prevented an agreement on an issue as important as taxing Covid-19 vaccines. The matter had to be referred to a group of ministers (GoM).

Is the council, which has held 44 meetings since 2016 and has a record of ensuring that all its decisions except one have been unanimous, losing its federal character amid the financial stress being faced by both Centre and states due to the Covid-19 outbreak? The biggest source of discontentment among states, after all, has been pending compensation for FY21. The central government had promised to make good any loss suffered by states due to implementation of GST. Several states say they have been paid much less than what was their due.

Five years after giving up their freedom to tax goods and services in favour of the GST Council, states are coming around to a view that they have been short-changed and their voices muzzled. GST Council decisions require a three-fourth majority. Centre has a one-third vote and states the remaining two-third. The former also has a veto on decisions.