Post the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate cuts effective September 22, prices of 30 out of 54 daily-use items monitored by the government have seen more-than-expected reductions, while others are yet to fully reflect the intended benefits. The government is working with industry players to ensure further retail price drops where needed.As per news agency PTI, the items monitored include essentials such as butter, ghee, cheese, soap, shampoo, AC machines, and TVs. Government data from 21 CGST zones showed that products like ACs, TVs, tomato ketchup, cheese, and cement recorded larger-than-expected price cuts, while notebooks, chocolates, hair oil, toothpaste, pencils, thermometers, and bicycles saw smaller-than-anticipated reductions.Effective September 22, GST adopted a two-tier structure of 5 per cent and 18 per cent, with a 40 per cent rate for ultra-luxury items. Earlier, GST rates ranged from 5 to 28 per cent plus a compensation cess on luxury goods, covering 375 items from toothpaste and shampoo to cars and TVs.Among food items, dried fruits, cheese, condensed milk, jam, tomato ketchup, soya milk drinks, and bottled water witnessed price cuts exceeding expectations, while butter and ghee showed scope for additional reductions. Toiletries such as shampoo, toothbrush, talcum, and face powder saw larger-than-expected declines, whereas hair oil, toothpaste, shaving cream, and after-shave lotion recorded smaller-than-expected cuts.Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said the benefits of the GST reduction have been passed to consumers. “For items where price cuts are not as per our estimates, it might have to be brought down a little more for which we will work with the companies,” she noted.Sitharaman added that the department of consumer affairs has received 3,169 complaints related to non-passing of GST benefits, of which 3,075 have been forwarded to CBIC nodal officers, and 94 have already been resolved. A functionality will soon enable direct forwarding of complaints to the chief commissioners of respective zones.