Consumer bonanza

GST rates have been slashed in several categories

28% to 18%

Food & edibles:

Cocoa products, chocolate, non-alcoholic beverages and wafers

Grooming products:

Skin care products, shampoos, hair dyes, shaving cream, soaps, washing powder, creams and deodorants

Personal accessories:

Goggles, wristwatches

Wood & rubber:

Tyre tubes for bicycles & three-wheelers, plywood furniture, wallpaper

Stone & ceramics:

Articles of granite, marble, slate, plaster, mica, ceramic goods and glassware

28% to 12%

Utility: Common kitchen appliances

18% to 12%

Health: Diabetic food, medicinal grade oxygen, spectacle frames Food items: Refined sugar, condensed milk, pasta, curry paste Handicraft: Bamboo/cane furniture, knitted hats, jute and cotton handbags

18% to 5%

Hospitality: AC restaurants, hotel rooms below ~7,500 a day

12% to 5 %

Non-AC restaurants

5%to0%

Food items: Dried vegetables, dried or frozen fish, coconut shells New rates effective November 15