‘Can’t Damn GST Now, It’s the Kanoon’: Sitharaman at Pune Event
While she acknowledged that GST might have flaws, but she went on to say that it is the “kanoon” of the country.
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On Friday, 11 October, while answering to a question during an interaction with businessmen, chartered accountants, entrepreneurs and several others, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman apologised for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) not being able to live up to their satisfaction, ANI reported.
When one of the people in the audience raised his concern over GST, she said, "In this country after a long time, many parties in Parliament and in all the states worked together and came up with the Act. On the basis of some experiences, we cannot call what a god damn structure is this," ANI quoted her as saying.
"I wished from day one, that it (GST) met with your satisfaction but I am sorry that it did not meet with your satisfaction. We cannot damn it...it was passed in Parliament and in all the State assemblies. It might have flaws; it might probably give you difficulties but I am sorry, it is the 'kanoon' of the country...I appeal to you to work together so that we have a better framework if it is giving problems now," said the finance minister.
Consultants ‘Curse’ the Government for GST
The attendee, who claimed to be from a Cost Accountant Association in Pune, said that people are expecting GST to be “Goods and Simple Tax.”
He went on to say, “We know the objective of doing business. You wanted to reduce the complexity of law, litigation and corruption. You also want a smooth administration. And the government is interested to increase revenue."
Further, he said that their suggestions were not taken into consideration and asked for a time slot so that they could meet her in New Delhi.
“There are five suggestions from that perspective as officers don't take from that perspective. But they are the real problem in making the GST,” ANI quoted him as saying.
Also, he said that several industries, consultants are “cursing” the government for GST.
Nirmala Sitharaman has reportedly allocated a time slot to him so that he can meet her in New Delhi.
Earlier during a presser, when asked about the low GST collections, the minister attributed it to the difficulties due to weather-related disasters and also poor compliance, PTI reported.
"Yes, GST collection in some areas has not been strong enough. Various districts in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Himachal, and Uttarakhand were flooded and we had to postpone filing returns from these areas," she had said.
She also said that the revenue secretary has already formed a committee to identify where collection has not been adequate as per our expectation.
"We have some reports on how in some cases evasion has happened. The committee will look into how this can be plugged and if there has been any under-invoicing," she had said.
Billed as the biggest reform in indirect taxation, GST, which does away with a host of levies from the federal to the local government levels, was implemented in July 2017.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)
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