COAI Seeks Cut In GST Rates For Telecom In Letter To Finance Ministry

Telecom operators have approached the government for a reduction in the 18 percent GST rate, saying the benefit of input credit is not enough to fully compensate the higher tax incidence in the new regime.

Firms under industry body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) have emphasised that reduction in GST rate is important given that the industry is already suffering from "poor financial health".

The letter comes just days before the meeting of the GST Council on June 11, in which the Centre and states will review demands by various industries to lower the proposed tax rates on certain goods and services.

The finance ministry has already indicated that a review is only possible where the proposed tax rate is exorbitantly higher than the current levels.

The letter by COAI Director General Rajan Mathews said the benefits on account of availability of credit of existing duties and taxes are not as perceived by the finance ministry.

The notion that the increase in GST rate by three percent will get compensated by the reduction of cascading tax costs, is "misconceived", the industry association said.

Also Read: GST: Telecom Operators Must Rework Costs To Pass On Benefits To Users, Says Finance Ministry

The apex industry body – which counts Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Idea Cellular and Reliance Jio as its members – highlighted that a number of key inputs such as diesel and electricity that are consumed by the telecom firms continue to be outside the GST regime for which no credit is available.

"It is therefore evident that the telecom sector will continue to reel under significant cascading taxes even under the GST regime," it added.

Under the new rates decided by the GST Council, telecom services will be taxed at 18 percent. At present, telecom consumers are charged 15 percent in form of tax and cess over their phone bills.

The debt-ridden industry had expressed disappointment with the rates saying telecom services will become expensive for consumers.

The finance ministry, however, has asked telecom companies to rejig costs and lower prices to pass on to the consumers benefits of tax rate reduction under the GST regime, which will come into effect from July 1.

The ministry has argued that service providers can claim input tax credit which will bring down the effective incidence of the levy.

But COAI said that "...cumulative savings on account of credits of duties/taxes becoming available and minuscule interest benefit arising out of full availability of spectrum credits is around 1.1 per cent of the revenue, which is far below three per cent (hike)..."

COAI has also red flagged the "denial" of credit on telecom towers, despite the fact that towers are essential for rendering telecom services.