Eyes on 49th GST Council meeting of today, focus on setting up appellate tribunal

By Alisha Sahoo

Bhubaneswar, Feb. 18: The 49th meeting of the GST Council will be held in New Delhi today, February 18.

Chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the meeting is likely to discuss setting up appellate tribunals and mechanisms to curb tax evasion in pan masala and gutkha business.

Tax evasion in pan masala and gutkha businesses is likely to be discussed at the GST Council meeting on Saturday, according to reports.

At the GST Council meeting, chaired by Nirmala Sitharaman and including her state counterparts, the report of the panel of ministers on online gaming and casinos may not be discussed.

On February 18, the 49th GST Council meeting will discuss items that could not be discussed in its last meeting on December 17, 2022.

In addition, the report by the Group of Ministers (GoM), led by Odisha finance minister Niranjan Pujari, on preventing pan masala and gutkha industries from evading taxes will be discussed.

A retired judge should be the president of the tribunals, and a judicial member from each state and the Centre should serve as a technical member.

It is unlikely that the report of the panel headed by Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma on online gaming will be discussed. Before the report can be discussed by the Council, it must be circulated to states and submitted to the Union finance minister.