Disappointed over high GST rate on ayurvedic products that provide “care and cure to common man at affordable price,” Baba Ramdev-led Patanjali Ayurved has asked the government as to how can people feel and live ‘Achchhe Din’ without the right to good health.
Industry body AMAM also said that while the Centre was aggressively promoting ayurveda globally, high tax incidence under GST would make the natural medicines costly and out of reach of the common people. GST rate for classical or generic range of ayurvedic medicines must be nil and 5% for patented products instead of the proposed 12%, the Association of Manufacturers of Ayurvedic Medicines (AMAM) has said.
Presently, ayurvedic medicines and products have a total tax incidence of 7%, including VAT. Under the GST regime, these items have been kept at 12%. “Higher GST on ayurvedic category has surprised us and is very disappointing and disheartening,” Patanjali Ayurved Ltd., spokesman S.K. Tijarawala told PTI in an e-mailed response.
