The Union Cabinet on Monday approved the setting up of the crucial Goods and Services Tax Council that will take all key decisions relating to the indirect tax levy, including rates and exemptions.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has also decided to call the first meeting of the GST Council on September 22 and 23 in New Delhi, said an official release.
The GST Council will be led by the Finance Minister and would include state ministers as members.
In addition, the Cabinet has appointed the Revenue Secretary as its ex-officio Secretary and has also approved "inclusion of the Chairperson, Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), as a permanent invitee (non-voting) to all proceedings of the GST Council".
It has also approved creating one post of Additional Secretary to the GST Council in the GST Council Secretariat (at the level of Additional Secretary to the Government), and four posts of Commissioner in the GST Council Secretariat (at the level of Joint Secretary to the Government).
"The Cabinet also decided to provide adequate funds for meeting the recurring and non-recurring expenses of the GST Council Secretariat, the entire cost for which shall be borne by the Central Government," he said in a release, adding that the Secretariat of the GST Council will be in New Delhi.