Gaming sector's wait for GST review drags on as council meeting unlikely till June 2024
The gaming sector will now have to wait until after a new central government is formed for a review of the 28 per cent goods and services tax (GST) imposed last October.
The review was originally meant to be conducted at the conclusion of a six-month period ending March 31 this year, but scheduling constraints, among others, have meant that the federal GST Council is unlikely to meet until June this year.
The Election Commission of India is expected to announce the dates for the Lok Sabha next week, following which the election code of conduct will come into effect. This code prevents any major policy decision from being taken.
In fact, the present union government’s council of ministers met for the last time earlier this Sunday. A meeting of the Union Cabinet has also been held today on major policy decisions.
The decision to review the 28 per cent tax on online gaming and casinos six months after its implementation on October 1, 2023 was initially announced during the 51st GST Council meeting in August 2023. The review process, set to take place after March 31, 2023, involves the participation of member states and the GST secretariat.
