"Of the structural reforms, the GST has been the most historic in our country. Its chief architect is not with us today. I pay homage to the visionary leader late Arun Jaitely. GST has been gradually maturing into a tax that has integrated the country economically," she said during her budget speech.
The challenges before the government, he said, is to put public sector banks back on track and continue to operationalise stalled infrastructure projects
Nasscom president said moving from single to multiple points could be a challenge from the point of view of ease of doing business
A future road map could be to work towards a single standard rate instead of two standard rates of 12 per cent and 18 per cent, he said.
GST Council has also reached consensus on the definition of revenue to compensate states for revenue loss
The recent 'revelation' by TN fishers freed by Sri Lanka after they had paid up Lankan rupees 50,000 each in fines, that their hair was tonsured in prison and they were forced to remove their garments other than the underpants, and were also made to clean toilets, as if with vengeance, has touched a raw nerve this time, just as another issue or issues had done it ahead of the Jallikattu protests, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
Any residual amount left in the Compensation Fund after five year compensation period shall be shared equally between the Centre and the states.
Proposals from the Centre's side include raising the 5 per cent slab to anywhere between 6 and 8 per cent, and doing away with the 12 per cent slab. A few states may oppose such a move because it involves hiking tax on items consumed by the poor. They have instead proposed raising the 18 per cent slab.
Two sub-committees, set up by the government to resolve the issues of compensation to states for revenue loss on account of a reduction in central sales tax and the final design of GST, are also likely to miss the December 31 deadline.
The vice president met Leader of the party in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, P Chidambaram and Deputy Leader of the party in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma, among others and discussed various points regarding the key tax reform legislation.
After the 2019 election, one thing is sure: GST will see a number of changes, explains Indivjal Dhasmana.
The Goods and Services Tax Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha in May.
The GST Council is scheduled to meet next on November 10 and may consider lowering tax rates on a host of goods such as handmade furniture, plastic products and daily use items like shampoo.
Arun Jaitley said he would put the DTC Bill in cold storage.
With the total tax burden currently at 53 per cent, 19.5 per cent and 56 per cent, respectively for cigarettes, bidis and smokeless, tobacco taxation in India is much lower than the level recommended by the World Health Organisation.
The IMG meeting will be convened shortly.
Jaitley promised the states that they would be fully compensated for any loss of revenue arising from implementation of GST.
The government will set up 16 new medical colleges over the next five years.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will hold a pre-Budget discussion with state governments on January 13.
National Anti-profiteering Authority to be set up for ensuring that customers get the benefit of GST
FinMin does not expect tax or non-tax revenue to reach anywhere close to the targets set in the interim Budget. Sources say that the challenge before the new government will be either to accept the reduced projection and tailor the Budget accordingly or set a more ambitious target.
Others taxed at 5, 12, 18, 28%
"At present, there are two main rate slabs under which sa majority of goods are covered -- five per cent and 12.5 per cent -- which will now increase to three (five per cent, 12 per cent and 18 per cent).Will this result in multiple litigations is anybody's guess."
So far, 38.38 lakh taxpayers accounting for 64.42 per cent of the total businesses, who had registered in July, filed returns.
The monsoon session of Parliament is likely to begin in the third week of July and end by mid August.
The Union minister said it is "not fair" on Congress's part to set conditions for the passage of the GST bill and if the said clauses were so crucial, the UPA could have brought these in the original bill when it was in power.
'I found it unbelievable that L&T said 45,000 jobs were waiting to be filled because of unavailability of suitable skillsets.' 'So, when the Opposition sweepingly says there are no jobs, I'm sorry... I'm not saying it's raining jobs, but there are jobs. The (skill) gap has to be bridged.'
During 2023, the Indian real estate sector - both housing and commercial - witnessed buoyancy fuelled by demand, supply, and absorption, and the sector is banking on the upcoming Budget to keep the momentum going. Mumbai-based Sattva Group wants the government to focus on the critical pillars for long-term growth. The company emphasised on the infrastructure boom with increased allocation, lower goods and services tax (GST) rates, incentives for affordable housing and single-window clearance to fast-track projects and support liquidity.
As many as 30 sub-groups and committees worked tirelessly to devise rules and laws as well as fix tax rates for over 1,200 goods and services.
Bharat Krishak Samaj demanded that the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana should be replaced with a new crop insurance and compensation scheme.
Common use products like hair oil, soaps and toothpaste will be charged with a single national sales tax or GST of 18 per cent instead of present 22-24 per cent
When the landslide hit, Sruthi's house was washed away, along with its inhabitants. She lost her entire family and some relatives. All she had left for a close confidante was her fiance Jenson. Days after the landslide and the loss of her family, Jenson died in a road accident that also left Sruthi with serious injuries. News of the accident and Sruthi's backdrop as the lone surviving member of a family wiped out in the July landslide, was picked up by the media, and people rushed to help.
Companies feel higher rates in India would not be justified.
Assembly elections coming up in November and December could offer a window of opportunity to the government to make GST attractive through rate cuts.
Most of the members, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were seen wearing face masks. However, members had crowded the Lok Sabha chamber, while hardly a handful of others, including union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Piyush Goyal, were seen seated in the Rajya Sabha chamber.
'In a nation where safety standards are the lowest in the world, why make compliance expensive?' asks Aakar Patel.
Although the markets could see a knee-jerk reaction, they rule out a sharp fall.
She has shown shrewdness, sensitivity, and courage. All of these will be needed in ample quantities for the real challenge that will emerge after the elections, notes Shreekant Sambrani.
The new tax rates will come into effect from January 1, 2019.
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