Source: campustwist
The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday took up the four bills related to the GST. Opposition questioned the government’s preparedness to implement the indirect tax regime and urged for a mechanism to insulate taxpayers from harassment by tax authorities.
Deputy Leader of Congress Anand Sharma said, “It is important that as you go for implementation, both the Centre and the state governments should create an institutional mechanism which protects or insulates the taxpayers from harassment.”
The bills were passed by the Lok Sabha last week.
Sharma urged Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and the GST Council to keep most of the goods, which are used by the common man, at the tax rate of 5 per cent.
Derek O’Brien of Trinamool Congress said the concept of GST has evolved over the last 17 years and is something that everyone can be proud of. “In GST, ‘G’ stands for ‘Go’. When in the government, go for it and when in opposition go slow over it. Be it the JDU, SP, BSP, AIADMK or NCP, everybody has done the same thing,” he said.
Naresh Agrawal of Samajwadi Party urged the government to ensure that the decision on the states’ claims or issues are not delayed in the GST Council.