44th GST Council Meeting: Change in GST Rates on goods being used in Covid-19 relief and management.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 12th June. The 44th GST Council met under the Chairmanship of Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman through video conferencing here today. The Council in its meeting has decided to reduce the GST rates on the specified items being used in Covid-19 relief and management till 30th September 2021.
The meeting was also attended by the Union Minister of State for Finance & Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur besides Finance Ministers of States & UTs and senior officers of the Ministry of Finance & States/ UTs.
S. No. Description Present GST Rate GST Rate recommended by GST Council
A. Medicines
1. Tocilizumab 5% Nil
2. Amphotericin B 5% Nil
3. Anti-Coagulants like Heparin from 12% to 5%
4. Remdesivir fro 12% to 5%
5. Any other drug recommended by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Dept. of Pharma (DoP) for Covid treatment Applicable Rate
The details of recommendations are given below :
B. Oxygen, Oxygen generation equipment and related medical devices
1. Medical Grade Oxygen from 12% to 5%
2. Oxygen Concentrator/ Generator, including personal imports thereof 12% 5%
3. Ventilators from 12% to 5%
4. Ventilator masks / canula / helmet from 12% to 5%
5. BiPAP Machine 12% to 5%
6. High flow nasal cannula (HFNC) device 12% to 5%
C. Testing Kits and Machines
1. Covid Testing Kits 12% to 5%
2. Specified Inflammatory Diagnostic Kits, namely D-Dimer, IL-6, Ferritin and LDH 12% 5%
D. Other Covid-19 related relief material
1. Pulse Oximeters, incl personal imports thereof 12% to 5%
2. Hand Sanitizer 18% to 5%
3. Temperature check equipment 18% to 5%
4. Gas/Electric/other furnaces for the crematorium, including their installation, etc. 18% to 5%
5. Ambulances 28% to 12%
These rate reductions/exemptions shall remain in force up to 30th September 2021.