In the 23^rd meeting held on the 10^th November, 2017, the GST Council had recommended major relief in GST rates on certain goods. These rate changes have been brought into effect from the 15^th November, 2017. On 178 items the GST rate has been brought down from 28% to 18%. With reduction of rate coming into effect, a consumer shall be charged the revised reduced rates of 18% on these items with effect from the 15^th November, 2017. Accordingly, there would be a corresponding reduction in price/MRP on these goods. Consumers may take note of these reduction while making purchases.

Broadly these items are grouped as follows:

v  Wires, cables, insulated conductors, electrical insulators, electrical plugs, switches, sockets, fuses, relays, electrical connectors

v  Electrical boards, panels, consoles, cabinets etc for electric control or distribution

v  Particle/fibre boards and ply wood; articles of wood, wooden frame, paving block

v  Furniture, mattress, bedding and similar furnishing

v  Trunk, suitcase, vanity cases, brief cases, travelling bags and other hand bags, cases

v  Detergents, washing and cleaning preparations

v  Liquid or cream for washing the skin

v  Shampoos; Hair cream, Hair dyes (natural, herbal or synthetic) and similar other goods; henna powder or paste, not mixed with any other ingredient;

v  Pre-shave, shaving or after-shave preparations, personal deodorants, bath preparations, perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations, room deodorisers

v  Perfumes and toilet waters

v  Beauty or make-up preparations

v  Fans, pumps, compressors

v  Lamp and light fitting

v  Primary cell and primary batteries

v  Sanitary ware and parts thereof, of all kinds

v  Articles of plastic, floor covering, baths, shower, sinks, washbasins, seats, sanitary ware of plastic

v  Slabs of marbles and granite

v  Goods of marble and granite such as tiles

v  Ceramic tiles of all kinds

v  Miscellaneous articles such as vacuum flasks, lighters

v  Wrist watches, clocks, watch movements, watch cases, straps, parts

v  Articles of apparel & clothing, accessories of leather, guts, furskin, artificial fur and other articles such as saddlery and harness for any animal

v  Articles of cutlery, stoves, cookers and similar non electric domestic appliances

v  Razor and razor blades

v  Multi-functional printers, cartridges

v  Office or desk equipment

v  Doors, windows and frames of aluminium

v  Articles of plaster such as board, sheet

v  Articles of cement or concrete or stone and artificial stone

v  Articles of asphalt or slate

v  Articles of mica

v  Ceramic flooring blocks, pipes, conduit, pipe fittings

v  Wall paper and wall covering

v  Glass of all kinds and articles thereof such as mirror, safety glass, sheets, glassware

v  Electrical, electronic weighing machinery

v  Fire extinguishers and charges for fire extinguishers

v  Fork lifts, lifting and handling equipment

v  Bull dozers, excavators, loaders, road rollers

v  Earth moving and levelling machinery

v  Escalators

v  Cooling towers, pressure vessels, reactors

v  Crankshaft for sewing machine, tailor’s dummies, bearing housings, gears and gearing; ball or roller screws; gaskets

v  Electrical apparatus for radio and television broadcasting

v  Sound recording or reproducing apparatus

v  Signalling, safety or traffic control equipment for transports

v  Physical exercise equipment, festival and carnival equipment, swings, shooting galleries, roundabouts, gymnastic and athletic equipment

v  All musical instruments and their parts

v  Artificial flowers, foliage and artificial fruits

v  Explosive, anti-knocking preparation, fireworks

v  Cocoa butter, fat, oil powder

v  Extract, essence and concentrates of coffee, miscellaneous food preparations

v  Chocolates, chewing gum / bubble gum

v  Malt extract and food preparations of flour, groats, meal, starch or malt extract

v  Waffles and wafers coated with chocolate or containing chocolate

v  Rubber tubes and miscellaneous articles of rubber

v  Goggles, binoculars, telescope

v  Cinematographic cameras and projectors, image projector

v  Microscope, specified laboratory equipment, specified scientific equipment such as for meteorology, hydrology, oceanography, geology

v  Solvent, thinners, hydraulic fluids, anti-freezing preparation