No friction between Centre-states on GST, federal structure should be respected: Nirmala Sitharaman

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman denied any friction between the Centre and States over GST, emphasizing the importance of simplifying compliance for taxpayers. She highlighted that revenue generation is a secondary consideration in budget meetings, with the average GST rate now at 12.2%, below the originally suggested 15.3% revenue neutral rate.