New Delhi, Aug 23 (KNN) Raising concern of tax rate on the medicine industry, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has urged the GST council to exempt the sector under the new taxation.

President of Indian Medical Association, Andhra Pradesh Chapter, Dr. K.S Karuna Murthy in a press interview said that under the newly implemented Goods and Services Tax (GST), the medicines are placed under various tax slabs from 5 per cent to 28 per cent.

The taxation on medicines is not in the best interest of the citizens as medicines must not be treated as business commodities rather consider it as a basic need of the patients.

The GST on medicines was never a welcoming step nor by the medical fraternity or by the medicine industry. Therefore the government must consider the request and order a rollback of the new taxation on the sector.

The Association has written to the GST council and the central government in this regard.

Goods and Services Tax (GST) was rolled out on July 1, marking it as one of the biggest tax reform in the country since independence. (KNN/ DA)