NO GST ON DRUGS, MEDICAL SERVICES DEMANDED
Responding to a call given by the Federation of Medical and Sales Representatives’ Associations of India (FMARI), members of the Odisha Sales Representatives’ Union (OSRU), Balangir led by Suru Matari on Wednesday held street corner meetings at different places here and marched through the town demanding zero per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST) on all medicines and medical devices.
The agitating sales representatives argued that there is no point in imposing 12 per cent GST on finished medicine formulations and medical services, five per cent on medicines for malaria, HIV-AIDS, tuberculosis and diabetes and 18 per cent on bulk drugs while items like Gandhi Topi, kumkum, bindi, sindoor alata, bangles and betel leaves have been exempted from the GST.
They too lamented saying that while petroleum products, liquor, power, real estate sectors have been kept out of the GST purview, four slabs starting from 5 to 28 per cent fixed for medicines and equipments.
“The GST would increase price of medicines further and hit the common man the most,” said Matari at a meeting.
He demanded that all medicines and medical services be kept out of GST purview in the better interest of the common people.
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