Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary highlighted the government's efforts to simplify the Goods and Services Tax (GST) system following the 57th GST Council meeting. He said the reforms aim to improve the ease of doing business and address concerns raised by traders and small business owners.

Pankaj Chaudhary on GST Reforms

Chaudhary said the government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, had consistently worked to simplify procedures for businesses.

He stated that GST was introduced with the objective of making business operations easier. According to him, the 57th GST Council meeting reflected continued efforts to improve the system despite what he described as misleading propaganda surrounding GST.

#WATCH | On Jewar Airport to be renamed Narendra Modi International Airport, UP BJP chief Pankaj Chaudhary says, "This is a matter of happiness for us. I congratulate CM Yogi and his Cabinet on taking this decision. Someone who has served the nation for the last 25 years as Head of Government deserves such an honour. I thank CM Yogi for it."

— ANI (@ANI) October 9, 2026

GST Structure and Essential Items

Chaudhary highlighted the rationalisation of GST rates, saying the structure had been consolidated from four slabs to two. He also stated that more than 90% of items essential for daily life had been brought under tax brackets of 5% or lower.

He said the measures were intended to address concerns among traders and simplify the tax system.

Measures Addressing Traders’ Concerns

The minister outlined several measures that he said were intended to reduce difficulties faced by traders in GST-related matters.

According to his remarks, these included:

• GST-related arrests: Restrictions on arrests, which he said could not be made without a court order.

• Legal action threshold: An increase in the threshold for initiating legal action from ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore.

• Minimum penalty: A reduction from ₹25,000 to ₹10,000.

• Low tax liability: No action where the tax liability is below ₹10,000.

• Vehicle inspections: Changes to the interception of vehicles in transit, with enforcement squads reportedly requiring approval from higher authorities before stopping them.

These measures were presented by Chaudhary as steps to address compliance concerns and ease the burden on small businesses.

‘Modi’s Guarantee’ for Traders

Chaudhary described the decisions as being in the interest of traders and small business owners across the country. He said the government wanted businesses to operate effectively and contribute to India's development goals for 2047.

Calling the commitment “Modi’s Guarantee,” he linked the GST reforms to the broader vision of building a developed India by 2047.