GST Council meet: Two key Covid drugs exempted from GST

New Delhi, Sep 17: The Goods and Service Tax (GST) meeting on Friday extended the concession on select Covid-19 drugs, besides there will be no GST on Amphotericin B, Tocilizumab till December 31.

The Council, acting on the recommendation of a group of ministers from different states, cut to nil GST on Covid-19 drug Zolgensma and Viltepso, from existing 5 per cent.

"We have seen in the last one year and probably earlier that some life-saving drugs, which are not connected with Corona and are very expensive. Exemptions have been given for such drugs," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.

"I am giving the names of two because those two are very expensive drugs - Zolgensma and Viltepso. These two are very important drugs which cost something like Rs 16 crores. So the council has decided to grant exemption from GST for these 2," she said.

"Drugs that are suggested by the Ministry of Health for treating muscular atrophy, on the recommendation of Health Ministry and Dept of Pharmaceuticals, are also exempted for IGST on import for personal use," she added.

The concessional regime for certain medical equipment will end on September 30.

Sitharaman said 5 per cent GST will be levied at the point where the delivery is made by Swiggy and Zomato.

Also, the Council cut GST rate from 12 per cent to 5 per cent on cancer-related rugs and on fortified rice kernels to 5 per cent from 18 per cent.

GST rate on bio-diesel for blending in diesel was reduced to 5 per cent from 12 per cent, while the national permit fee for goods carriage has been exempt from GST.

Import of leased aircraft have also been exempted from payment of I-GST, the finance minister said.