Single-agenda GST Council meeting on Aug 27 to discuss compensation

Likely to be a stormy affair with divergent views on market borrowing; Next meeting on September 19

Expanding the scope of the compensation cess under the goods and services tax (GST) regime will be part of the deliberations at the much-anticipated ‘single-agenda’ GST Council meeting on August 27 to thrash out an alternative compensation mechanism for states in light of inadequate cess collections.

It will hold another meeting on September 19 to discuss other issues such as the e-way bill on gold and overarching tech changes in GST returns.

Increasing the cess period by another two to five years, widening the coverage of the compensation cess to include more goods and services, raising cess on existing items, and borrowing