CTI urges Centre to cut GST on air-purifiers

New Delhi, Dec 23 (PTI) Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) on Tuesday urged the Centre to cut the GST on air purifying devices, claiming that sales of air purifiers in Delhi have increased fivefold due to worsening air pollution.

CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal said the demand for air purifiers surged after October as pollution levels rose across the Delhi NCR. "Earlier, an average of four air purifiers were sold per shop per day, but now around 20 air purifiers are being sold daily," he said, adding that some companies have already run out of stock.

Goyal and CTI general secretary Gurmeet Arora said air purifiers and HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters currently attract 18 per cent GST, which they described as excessively high.

Goyal said CTI has written to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman seeking a reduction in the GST rate from 18 per cent to 5 per cent.

He said that while the government has failed to provide adequate relief from pollution, high tax rates have made air purifiers unaffordable for many people.

CTI senior vice-president Deepak Garg and vice-president Rahul Gandhi said the use of air purifiers has expanded to schools, hospitals, government offices and private workplaces, and called for an immediate reduction in GST. PTI VBH SHB SHB APL APL