Video on Articles of Association
https://youtu.be/fojkH2rkPNQ
Dr.S.Bhuvaneswari – 22.2.21
GST Council structure
As per Article 279A of
the amended Constitution, the GST Council is a joint forum of the Centre and
the States, and consists of the following members: -
Union Finance
Minister |
Chairperson |
The Union Minister
of State, in-charge of Revenue, Min. of Finance |
Member |
The Minister
In-charge of Finance or Taxation or any other Minister nominated by each
State Government |
Members |
The Council is
empowered to make recommendations to the Union and the States on the
following:-
(a) the taxes, cesses and surcharges levied by the Union, the States and the
local bodies which may be subsumed in the goods and services tax;
(b) the goods and services that may be subjected to, or exempted from the goods
and services tax;
(c) model Goods and Services Tax Laws, principles of levy, apportionment of
Integrated Goods and Services Tax and the principles that govern the place of
supply;
(d) the threshold limit of turnover below which goods and services may be
exempted from goods and services tax;
(e) the rates including floor rates with bands of goods and services tax;
(f) any special rate or rates for a specified period, to raise additional
resources during any natural calamity or disaster;
(g) special provision with respect to the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam,
Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura,
Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand; and
(h) the date on which GST shall be levied on petroleum crude, high speed
diesel, motor spirit (petrol), natural gas and aviation turbine fuel
(i) any other matter relating to the goods and services tax, as the Council may
decide.
The mechanism of GST
Council would ensure harmonisation on different aspects of GST between the
Centre and the States as well as amongst the States. It has been provided in
the Constitution (One Hundred and First Amendment) Act, 2016 that the GST
Council, in discharge of various functions, shall be guided by the need for a
harmonized structure of GST and for the development of a harmonized national
market for goods and services.
The Constitution (One
Hundred and First Amendment) Act, 2016 provides that every decision of the GST
Council shall be taken at its meeting by a majority of not less than 3/4th of
the weighted votes of the Members present and voting. The vote of the Central
Government shall have a weightage of 1/3rd of the votes cast and the votes of
all the State Governments taken together shall have a weightage of 2/3rd of the
total votes cast in that meeting. One half of the total number of members of
the GST Council shall constitute the quorum at its meeting.
On 12th September,2016
the Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of the Hon'ble Prime Minister approved
setting up of GST Council and creation of its Secretariat as follows:
(a) GST Council as per Article 279A of the amended Constitution;
(b) GST Council Secretariat, with its office at New Delhi;
(c) Secretary (Revenue) as the Ex-officio Secretary to the GST Council;
(d) Inclusion of the Chairperson, Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC),
as a permanent invitee (non-voting) to all proceedings of the GST Council;
(e) One post of Additional Secretary to the GST Council in the GST Council Secretariat
(at the level of Additional Secretary to the Government of India), and four
posts of Commissioners in the GST Council Secretariat (at the level of Joint
Secretary to the Government of India).
The Cabinet also
decided to provide for adequate funds for meeting the recurring and
non-recurring expenses of the GST Council Secretariat, which shall be borne by
the Central Government. The GST Council Secretariat shall be manned by officers
taken on deputation from both the Central and State Governments.