New Delhi, July 1 : Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday alleged that the Congress-led UPA failed to implement the much talked about Goods and Service Tax (GST) because it could not “create comfort level for states”.
“…..They could not create comfort level with states. When we took over in May 2014, we made it clear that the concerns of states were addressed,” Mr Jaitley said delivering a speech via video at the official function to celebrate the first GST Day here.
He said by May 2014, it was realised that the centre needs to keep its assurance given to the states vis-a-vis central sales tax because the state governments found it “difficult to trust the central government”.
He also said earlier the states were apprehensive of “the fear of the unknown” and therefore even manufacturing states were unwilling to join.
On this he said as soon as the NDA government took over, an effort was made to reach out to the states and they were put at “high comfort level”.
Mr Jaitey lauded the GST Council for its consensus approach in deciding over key issues related to new tax reforms and said the Council will be a “role model” to work as the country’s “first federal decision making body”.
“The Council passed the Constitution Amendment Bill by consensus, it passed all supportive legislation through unanimity and also all the rules by consensus,” he said adding the panel of state and central Finance Ministers also passed all the rates in unanimity.
“We had 27 sittings of the Council so far and I think it has become a role model for governance in various areas,” he said.
He said the government and the GST Council are now in the process of rationalising the rates.
Mr Jaitley, who has been Finance Minister since 2014 but now undergoing treatment, said there was direct tax increase last year – thanks largely to the GST norms.
“We have number of people added to the income tax net…The first quarter of this year shows that the Advanced Tax Payment, the gross figures has increased for personal income by 44 per cent and corporate tax by 17 per cent,” he said.
UNI.
Comments are closed.