STATE TO CENTRE: EXEMPT GST ON COVID-19 VACCINE

JAIPUR: After Odisha, Rajasthan government has also urged the Union government to exempt goods and services tax (GST) on the purchase of Covid-19 vaccine.

The Centre is charging 5% GST on the Covid-19 vaccine being purchased from the Serum Institute of India (SII) for the vaccination of people aged between 18 and 44 years.

The state government has given orders to purchase 37.5 million vaccines from SII at the rate of ₹300 plus GST for each vaccine. This way, the state would pay ₹56 crore GST on the vaccines ordered.

There are about 37.5 million people in the age group of 18 to 45 years in the state. Till date, 13.9 million people have been vaccinated with the two doses of the vaccine in Rajasthan, which include around 275,000 people between 18 and 44 years.

A total of 75 million vaccines will be procured by the state government, which will cost the government ₹112 crore GST. With that amount, the state government can buy 3.7 million vaccines and vaccinate entire population in a district, officials said.

“We have urged the Centre to exempt GST on purchase of Covid-19 vaccine. The Centre has already exempted GST on import of Covid-19 relief material such as vaccines, medical oxygen and medicines,” said a senior official of the state health department.

Transport minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said the Centre has maligned the image of the country across the world first they bargained on the vaccine prices and now GST. “We have repeatedly requested the Centre for free vaccine and oxygen in proportion to the number of (Covid-19) cases,” he said.

Deputy Leader of Opposition, Rajendra Rathore said, “Certainly, the vaccines should be exempted from GST in the interest of people. We will be writing to the GST council and urge them to consider waiver,” he said. BJP state president Satish Poonia said, “We will urge the Centre to waive GST from vaccines. We want that cent percent youth should get vaccinated. I have also spoken to Union minister Arjun Meghwal. He is also taking up the issue with the Union finance ministry.”