Reblog: Goods and Services Tax will transform Indian economy
The original article appears in the Khaleej Times and is available here.
Building a consensus and getting all political parties on the same page was the biggest hurdle.
A uniform Goods and Services Tax (GST ) will soon be a reality in India following the passage of constitutional amendment bill in its upper house of Parliament on Wednesday. The bill now allows the central government to frame law for a unified tax regime in the country for most products and services and do away with as many as 17 indirect taxes prevalent at the central, state and concurrent levels. As of now, taxes are fragmented along states and push costs up by 20 to 30 percent.
Building a consensus and getting all political parties on the same page was the biggest hurdle. Now, it is just a matter of time, more discussions and debates, and ratification by the state assemblies before India will be able to introduce a uniform tax and join a league of more than 160 nations that enjoy a single tax regime.