Summary:
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 13 (PTI): Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal on Wednesday said inclusion of petroleum products under the GST (goods and services tax) would not help reduce fuel prices and that prices would go down only if the Centre foregoes the cess on petrol and diesel.
To counter the claim that inclusion of petrol and diesel under the GST would bring fuel prices down, the Minister cited the rising prices of gas, which is already under the GST.
While replying to a call attention motion moved by senior Congress MLA Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan in the State Assembly today, Balagopal blamed the Central government"s decision in 2014 that allowed oil companies to determine the price of petrol and diesel.
His comments come against the backdrop of petrol and diesel prices touching an all-time high.
Balagopal said when the LDF government came to power in 2016, the sales taxes on petrol and diesel were 31.80 per cent and 24.52 per cent respectively.
In 2018, the government reduced that tax on them to 30.8 per cent and 22.76 per cent respectively.