New Delhi, December 18: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to chair the 38th Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council Meeting today. There is an expectation of an increase in GST rates and slabs to meet the revenue shortfall.

The priority of the meet would include a  review of GST and compensation cess rates on various items, rate calibrations for addressing the inverted duty structure, and other measures to boost the revenue, according to a Live Mint report. GST Cannot be 'Damned' Now Despite Possible Flaws, Says Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman; Watch Video.

FM had asked suggestions from various states on review of items currently under an exemption for supporting the GST revenues. Some states like West Bengal are completely against any GST rate hike. Centre has recently rolled out Rs 35,298 crore as compensation to states and Union territories to compensate for the loss of revenue due to GST rollout. Finance Ministry Issues Guidelines For Revenue Dept Officers, Asks Them to Boost Monthly GST Collection to Rs 1.1 Lakh Crore.

The financial sector players on Monday demanded a reduction of GST on term insurance for increasing its penetration and streamlining KYC norms to expand financial inclusion. According to the official statement, the representatives from the financial sector and capital markets submitted several suggestions concerning enhancing credit offtake from banks, governance, risk capital issues and others

The Finance Ministry has set a Rs 1.1 lakh crore monthly GST collection target for the remaining four months of 2019-20 financial year.

(With inputs from agencies)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 18, 2019 08:07 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).