Jairam Ramesh Questions Future of National Anti-Profiteering Authority

Fast Summary

• the Congress raised questions about the future of the National Anti-profiteering Authority (NAA), which was established under Section 171 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, to monitor whether GST rate cuts benefit consumers.
• congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh noted that the Modi Goverment issued a notification on September 30, 2024, effectively abolishing the NAA as of april 1, 2025.
• Mr. Ramesh expressed concern about ensuring that GST rate cuts do not benefit only select groups.
• The concerns follow recent decisions by the GST Council to rationalize GST slabs by removing the 12% and 28% sections while lowering rates on certain mass-consumption items.
• Effective September 22, several rate reductions have been implemented with an aim to provide relief to consumers ahead of Deepavali celebrations.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The abolition of the National Anti-profiteering Authority perhaps raises critical questions regarding oversight mechanisms for consumer protection in India’s tax framework. While simplifying GST slabs and cutting rates may offer immediate cost relief for patients and mass consumers-especially ahead of Deepavali-the absence of a dedicated authority like NAA could affect openness over whether benefits truly reach intended beneficiaries rather than concentrated interests. Decisions around regulatory changes frequently enough impact public trust in policymaking and implementation efficiency; clarity on successor institutions or option mechanisms might help mitigate concerns raised by political stakeholders such as Jairam Ramesh.

Link: the Hindu