Govt lists GST Bill for next week
New Delhi, Dec 5, 2015, DHNS:
Hoping for a breakthrough, the Modi government has listed the Goods and Services Tax Bill and several key draft legislations for consideration of Parliament next week.
The Business Advisory Committee of the Rajya Sabha has allocated four hours for discussion on the GST Bill even as the government hopes to get the Opposition Congress onboard for the key economic reform measure that is expected to replace indirect taxes levied by the Centre and the states.
There has been very little movement on the talks with the Congress since Friday last when Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his predecessor Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi to seek a resolution to the standoff over GST. The Congress has been insisting on three key amendments to the Bill, which Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had rejected. However, the government agreed to re-think its stand after the meeting between Sonia and Modi.
A government-appointed panel on the GST had on Friday suggested capping the revenue neutral rate between 17 and 18 per cent and abolishing the one per cent additional tax mentioned in the bill. Both the recommendations were in consonance with the demands raised by the Congress and are expected to come handy to the government.However, the Congress’s does not appear to be in a hurry to respond to the government. Anand Sharma, Congress Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha argued that the speeches of the prime minister and the home minister in Parliament were not a genuine attempt towards reconciliation but only a bid to secure the passage of the GST.
Besides the GST, also listed in the Rajya Sabha agenda for next week are the Real Estate Regulator Bill, the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill the Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill and the Whistle Blower Protection (Amendment) Bill.
The Business Advisory Committee of the Rajya Sabha has allocated four hours for discussion on the GST Bill even as the government hopes to get the Opposition Congress onboard for the key economic reform measure that is expected to replace indirect taxes levied by the Centre and the states.
There has been very little movement on the talks with the Congress since Friday last when Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his predecessor Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi to seek a resolution to the standoff over GST. The Congress has been insisting on three key amendments to the Bill, which Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had rejected. However, the government agreed to re-think its stand after the meeting between Sonia and Modi.
A government-appointed panel on the GST had on Friday suggested capping the revenue neutral rate between 17 and 18 per cent and abolishing the one per cent additional tax mentioned in the bill. Both the recommendations were in consonance with the demands raised by the Congress and are expected to come handy to the government.However, the Congress’s does not appear to be in a hurry to respond to the government. Anand Sharma, Congress Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha argued that the speeches of the prime minister and the home minister in Parliament were not a genuine attempt towards reconciliation but only a bid to secure the passage of the GST.
Besides the GST, also listed in the Rajya Sabha agenda for next week are the Real Estate Regulator Bill, the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill the Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill and the Whistle Blower Protection (Amendment) Bill.
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