New Delhi, Mar 8 (KNN) The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council has notified the decisions it took for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) at its 32nd meet in January to be effective from 1st April.

The council had announced number benefits to the MSME sector including a hike in the turnover threshold and approval of 6% composition scheme for the services sector with a threshold limit of Rs 50 lakh.

The composition scheme was only applicable to manufacturers and traders earlier but is now applicable to the services sector as well.

The 3.8% of India's MSMEs located in Kerala will also get flood relief through a cess of up to one per cent on intra-state sale for a maximum of two years.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced the decisions at a press conference after a GST Council Meet on January 10.

The turnover threshold limit for filing the GST returns was doubled Rs 20 lakh for small states including the northeast states and to Rs 40 lakh for the major states

The existing composition limit of Rs 1 crore for manufacturers, traders and restaurant service providers has been revised to Rs 1.5 crore from April 1, 2019. (KNN/JM)