Patna: Bihar is expected to benefit significantly from the recent changes in the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Deputy Chief Minister and Finance and Commerce Minister Samrat Choudhary said on Tuesday. Speaking at an interactive session on “Next Generation GST Reforms” organised by the Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industries, he highlighted that lower GST rates would boost consumption, offsetting any short-term revenue losses for the government.
“Bihar is a consumer state, so the reforms will yield greater benefits for us,” Choudhary said. He also noted that removing GST on insurance and adjusting rates had been a major responsibility but was achieved with collective cooperation.
On infrastructure, Choudhary added that government-led improvements take time and suggested that future development could be accelerated through public-private partnerships (PPP).
Subhash Patwari, president of the Bihar Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the reduction of GST slabs to just two, calling it a “historic and balanced step” by the central government. He said the move would make essential goods more affordable, providing relief to citizens.
Digha MLA Dr Sanjeev Chaurasia emphasised the importance of taking GST reforms to the grassroots level. Meanwhile, former Chamber president PK Agarwal described the overhaul as a long-awaited reform, marking the first significant tax restructuring in four decades.
The session was attended by vice-president Ashish Shankar, general secretary Pashupati Nath Pandey, former vice-presidents Mukesh Jain and NK Thakur, along with members Vishal Tekriwal, Rajesh Jain, Sunil Saraf, Binod Kumar, Vikas Kumar, Akhilesh Kumar, AKP Sinha, Ashish Prasad, Ajay Gupta, Ashok Kumar and other dignitaries.
