Industry  body  asks to include gas  under  GST

The government should bring natural gas under the goods and services tax (GST) regime to realize Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a gas-based economy and raising the share of the environment-friendly fuel in India’s energy basket, the industry has said.

Natural gas is currently outside the ambit of GST, and existing legacy taxes—central excise duty, state VAT, central sales tax—continue to be applicable on the fuel.

“Non-inclusion of natural gas under GST regime is having adverse impact on its prices due to stranding of taxes in the hands of gas producers/suppliers and is also impacting natural gas-based industries due to stranding of legacy taxes paid on it,” the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry (FIPI) said.

In a pre-Budget memorandum to the finance ministry, FIPI, which boasts of members from across the oil and gas spectrum, said the value-added tax (VAT) rate on natural gas is very high in different states—14.5 % in Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, 15% in Gujarat, 14% in Madhya Pradesh.

“Since gas-based industries do not get the benefit of tax credit of VAT paid on purchases of natural gas, it is resulting in an increase in cost of production of such industrial consumers and would have an inflationary effect on the economy,” it said.

Inclusion of natural gas in GST ambit will have a positive impact on gas-based industries, promote usage of the fuel and avoid stranding of taxes, it said.