<h1>GST Council Approves Final Rules for July 1 Rollout; West Bengal Raises Concerns Over Unorganized Sector Impact.</h1> The GST Council finalized pending rules, including transition provisions and returns, with all states agreeing to implement the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on July 1. The council, chaired by the Finance Minister, had previously categorized over 1,200 goods and 500 services into tax brackets of 5, 12, 18, and 28 percent. Despite the consensus, the West Bengal Chief Minister opposed the GST in its current form, citing concerns for the unorganized sector and advocating for lower tax rates to prevent negative impacts on the state's economy and employment. The industry has requested relaxation on deemed credit provisions for excise duties on pre-rollout stock.