Chennai: The goods and services tax (GST) was not an \u201ceasy reform to implement\u201d but it has evoked \u201cgreat\u201d public support with the government deciding not to blink in the face of Opposition to the new taxation measure, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have today reached a stage of history where there is a great amount of popular support behind reforms because people have become restless. They are not willing to be satisfied with a situation wherein India cannot reach up to its potential,\u201d he said in Chennai, while addressing a GST Conclave organised by various industry bodies. \u201cI can say with a reasonable expectation for the future that it (GST) was not a very easy reform to implement. Occasionally, there are people who try and prevent any reform from happening.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jaitley said he had learnt in the last few years that one should not blink if convinced that a reform was in the national interest. \u201cIf you pause, blink, go into a reconsideration mode, then those who want to trip you will never allow those reforms to take place.\u201d However, this time there was \u201cgreat amount of public support\u201d for the GST as people have become \u201crestless\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n
The finance minister said the pressure was on those who were blocking important legislations, disrupting Parliament or when there was a time gap when the GST amendment was not allowed to be passed.<\/p>\n
Such \u201cpublic pressure\u201d existed even on governments to continue to act and act correctly, and the popular opinion in the country was undergoing a \u201ctransformational change,\u201d he said. \u201cTherefore, let me say, that it is the people who have compelled this reform and brought the Centre and states together,\u201d he said. The finance minister said the Centre was aware of several issues being raised, adding that he was \u201cconscious\u201d of the difficulties, and therefore, constant interactions were happening on GST.<\/p>\n
Besides different Central taxes, states levied their own taxes and 17 such taxes had to be integrated into one and this brought in benefits like doing away with multiple taxation and ensuring free flow of goods across the country, saving on fuel, money and man hours, he said. Multiple returns, which often led to corruption, harassment and compliance burdens had also been done away with, he said, adding the country needed revenue to address important issues like procuring of arms and ammunitions for the army.<\/p>\n
The tax base\u2019s expansion with GST registration, plus removal of double taxation, among its other benefits, would enable more resources, he said. The minister also expected the net weighted average of taxes to ease, noting the pressure for corrective action of public opinion in general.<\/p>\n
He said the number of registrants paying all forms of indirect tax was eight million. \u201cAs of today, we have already crossed that figure (in the switch to GST registration). About 7.2 million migrated; many had multiple registrations. Already, about 1.2 million new people have come in. As this number is going to continue to increase, it gives us a slight comfort level, that the base is expanding,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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