Is GST on helmet the cause of death? Understand the matter with this logic of IRF
IRF has urged Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to reduce the GST on life saving equipment for two-wheeler riders from the existing 18% to 0%.
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GST On Helmet : The government is continuously making various efforts to rein in the statistics of road accident deaths in the country. But despite this, one of the most important riding gear that saves lives, helmets are subject to heavy GST. In this case, the global road safety body International Road Federation (IRF) has Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman To reduce the GST on life saving equipment for two wheeler riders from the existing 18% to 0%. International Road Federation (IRF) Chairman Emeritus K. Of. Kapila said in a letter to the Finance Minister that road accidents are a global threat and India alone accounts for 11 percent of the total road accidents across the world.
According to road safety experts, there should be no GST on helmets before the end of 2030 to reduce road accident deaths by 50 percent by 2025. According to statistics, there are about 500,000 road traffic accidents every year, resulting in the death of more than 150,000 people in road accidents and injuring over 500,000, some of which lead to permanent disability. Let us tell you that a large part of these are in the age group of 18 to 45 years, who are the people who make a very important contribution in strengthening any economy.
Of. Of. Kapila said that the President Emeritus, International Road Federation (IRF) in a letter to Union Finance Minister Ms Nirmala Sitharaman said that one of the most effective measures to reduce injuries and deaths in two wheeler accidents is the use of standard helmets. The use of helmets has been found to be low in our country. Our country is facing an increasing burden of traffic accidents, injuries and deaths.
Wearing of helmet is mandatory under section 129
According to a report by the Transport Research Wing of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, a total of 151,113 people were killed in 480,652 road accidents across India in 2019, an average of 414 in a day or an hour. Two wheeler drivers account for 31.4% of the total deaths in road accidents. Explain that according to section 129 of the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, it is mandatory for two-wheeler riders to wear a helmet.
No GST on helmet
Presently the applicable rate of GST is 18% on helmet which is a life saving device. According to road safety experts, there should be no GST on helmets to reduce road accident deaths by 50% by 2025, much before the end of 2030. This standard will help in making helmets more affordable to the general public and discourage them from buying substandard quality helmets. It will help in reducing road accident deaths, but will also help in reducing the loss of GDP due to road accidents in our economy.
English News Headline :International Road Federation urges govt to withdraw GST on helmets.
