GST Bill introduced in Lok Sabha

NEW DELHI: Amid stiff resistance from the opposition, finance minister Arun Jaitley on Friday moved the pending bill to amend the Constitution for implementing Goods and Services Tax (GST), pitching it as a “win-win” measure for the country.

The surprise protest raised doubts whether the government would succeed in rolling out the ambitious tax reforms initiative from April 2016, though the Centre remained confident of pushing the legislation through.

Congress and NCP accused the government of “bulldozing” Parliament and working “furtively” to bring the bill. The opposition held up the House for an hour before walking out in protest. They said the bill had undergone several changes and was different from the one which was introduced in 2011 under UPA. The legislation, they argued, needed to be examined afresh.

They also questioned the government’s decision to move the bill on a Friday.

Government rejected the criticism to move the bill for consideration, with Jaitley saying GST was one of the most extensively debated bills, having been discussed for 12 years now. “I think we did not have a more extensive debate on any bill since 1950… It is not merely the advantages of GST but also the maturity of the political system… how much more will India wait to reap the advantages of it.”

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Source:Thetimesofindia

Finance Minister Of India