Patna, Aug 13 (KNN) Stating that a committee has been set up to look specifically into the issues of MSMEs related to GST, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said Rakhis have been exempted from GST.

Goyal on Sunday was interacting with Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industries. He said as "Rakshabandhan is coming. We have exempted Rakhis from GST. Also, for Ganesh Chaturthi, we have exempted GST on statues made from wood, clay and stones. Handicraft and handloom sectors are also there. All these things are our heritage and we have to hold on to them with respect."

Goyal on Sunday said even the big nations don't have the courage to implement a tax reform like the GST.

"No big country has ever had the courage to implement something like GST. It's not there in the US or China. Big nations don't have the courage to bring such huge change," Goyal said.

"Before our GST Council meeting on July 21, I went to seven places - Jaipur, Bhopal, Nagpur, Raipur, Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi - to interact with people and take their feedback on what they expect from us. The decisions that were made in the GST meeting brought changes in the GST to a great extent. GST has become simple. A special GST meeting, especially for the MSME sector, was called on August 4. This happened for the first time when all the finance ministers in the country along with the Centre's Finance Minister did a meeting, especially for a particular sector," he added.

Goyal also said that as many as 29 GST meeting that have taken place till now, rates of 384 Goods and 68 Services have been reduced.