Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said the benefits of the revised GST rates are fully reaching end consumers, with close monitoring of 54 select products showing positive results during the transition to next-generation reforms.

Addressing a joint press conference on GST Bachat Utsav here along with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Railways, Information & Broadcasting, Electronics & Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Sitharaman noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced these reforms from the Red Fort, promising implementation before Diwali.

The reforms, including rate reductions, process simplification, reduction of slabs from four to two, and resolution of classification issues, came into effect from the first day of Navratri on September 22, she said, adding that they have been well-received by the people.

“We set the course for GST and implemented it. The Opposition neither brought GST nor even dared to attempt it. What we are doing today is not a correction but a conscious decision, reflecting cooperation between the Central Government and the GST Council to pass on greater benefits to the people,” Sitharaman said.