New Delhi – The government announced Thursday that recent GST cuts will cut costs and make products from Tripura more affordable for buyers both at home and abroad. The changes help the state’s handloom, tea, sericulture and food‑processing industries reach new markets and increase exports.
The reforms hit the famous Risa and Pachra‑Rignai textiles head‑on. Goods made from these GI‑tagged fabrics are now taxed at about 5 percent instead of the earlier 12 percent. That savings boosts the price competitiveness of hand‑woven garments and gives more income to the 130,000 households that weave, cut, stitch and sell these fabrics. Rural women who make Risa‑based apparel will earn higher wages as the tax cut directly cuts their production costs.
Packaged and instant tea – a major export commodity for Tripura – also gets a 5 percent GST rate. The reduction benefits 54 tea estates and roughly 2,755 small tea farmers who sell their leaves in Guwahati and Kolkata and ship to markets in Bangladesh, the Middle East and Europe.
Silk is another key sector that stands to gain. About 15,550 farmers grow silkworms for the state’s sericulture industry. With a 5 percent rate on silk‑based products, the whole value chain – from cocoon raising to reeling – will see lower costs and higher margins.
Food processing gets its share of relief too. The state’s 2,848 food and agro‑processing units now face a 7 percent GST on fruit and vegetable juices, including the popular GI‑tagged Tripura Queen Pineapple. Lower taxes encourage more processing, packaging and exporting, helping local farmers move from raw produce to value‑added products.
Tripura has been steadily exporting Pineapple to Dubai, Oman, Qatar and Bangladesh while also shipping about 15,000 tonnes to other Indian states. The tax cuts aim to smooth the transition from farm‑level production to a market‑driven, value‑additive economy, boosting jobs and revenue for tribal women, artisans and small farmers across the state.
Source: ianslive
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