GST Council likely to discuss bringing ATF under GST; Combating Credit card fraud & more
In a significant development for the aviation sector, the upcoming 55th GST Council meeting is likely to deliberate on the possibility of bringing aviation turbine fuel (ATF) under the ambit of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, according to sources.
Sources familiar with the 55th GST Council agenda revealed that the proposal is to "take a view on whether to bring ATF under GST or whether to maintain the status quo." Currently, ATF attracts an 11% central excise duty, with a concessional rate of 2% applicable under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS). In addition, ATF is subject to Value Added Tax (VAT) at varying rates across states, as each state imposes a different VAT rate.
The country's first Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat died in a Mi-17 V5 helicopter crash on December 8, 2021, and a parliamentary panel report has said the reason behind the accident which occurred that day was "human error".
Gen Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, and many other armed forces personnel had died after the military helicopter they were travelling in crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu. The accident was widely reported in the media. In the report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, the Standing Committee on Defence shared the data on the number of Indian Air Force aircraft crashes that took place during the 13th Defence Plan period.
