After a reduction in GST rate on 178 items, another round of GST rate cut is being expected to lower the burden on White goods such as refrigerators and washing machines. Although the council avoided taking the decision on white goods at the last meeting, experts said a cut in levies was only a matter of time because Modi government has been under pressure from various quarters — including traders, political parties and industry — to simplify and rationalise the GST framework further.

While the move is expected to help push demand in the sector, amid repeated complaints of a slowdown and excess capacity, the exercise will also be aimed at women and will reduce their daily workload by making such white goods cheaper, said a senior government official, who did not wish to be quoted.

28% tax rate is suitable for luxury and sin goods and white goods are no longer treated as a luxury, rather they are articles of common need and thus stabilizing them at a lower rate will be a great move which will further encourage the domestic sector to manufacture such products within the country.