New Delhi, March 9 The government has spent ₹88.74 crore on advertising for the GST Bachat Utsav, under which tax rates on a wide range of goods were reduced, effective September 22, 2025, Parliament was informed on Monday.
In response to a question on the total expenditure on advertising for the GST Bachat Utsav, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said, "The total expenditure undertaken by the government on advertising for the GST Bachat Utsav is ₹88.74 crore."
At the 56th GST Council meeting on September 3, the Centre and states had decided to reduce tax rates on about 375 items. Prices of essential goods, from kitchen staples to electronics, as well as medicines and equipment, were reduced from September 22, which the government termed as the GST Bachat Utsav (GST Savings Festival).
In a written reply, Chaudhary said that the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) is monitoring the prices of important commodities, including packaged food items and medicines, before and after September 22, 2025, to ensure that the benefits are passed on to end consumers.
Furthermore, meetings were held with trade associations along with representatives of relevant ministries to ensure that their members pass on the benefits of the rate cuts to consumers.
"In addition, extensive publicity campaigns were launched to raise awareness about GST rate rationalization through print and social media," Chaudhary said.
Besides, Frequently Asked Questions were also prepared and uploaded on the CBIC website to guide consumers to contact the National Consumer Helpline or register queries/complaints on the Integrated Grievance Redressal Mechanism (INGRAM) portal if they have any queries or complaints regarding not receiving the benefits of the GST rate changes.
"Based on the inputs received from the field formations under CBIC, it has been observed that these benefits have largely been passed on to end-consumers after the GST rate reduction," Chaudhary said.