GST Council clears major compliance reforms, removes arrest power

The 57th GST Council has approved sweeping process reforms, including removing arrest powers, raising the prosecution threshold to Rs 5 crore, and automating refunds and registrations. Refund claims will be acknowledged within 10 days, with 90 percent sanctioned automatically. The changes aim to simplify GST compliance for businesses, particularly exporters and those under the inverted duty structure.