Cong to oppose all GST amendments

Ahead of the winter session of Parliament, Congress on Monday expressed its opposition to the proposed four-tier Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate structure which goes up to 28 per cent, insisting that it would hit hard the common man.

“Congress has always been insisting that the rate should not be more than 18 per cent as it would lead to rise in inflation and burden the common man”.

“Now it is being revealed that Narendra Modi and Arun Jaitley who were having ambivalent position on the GST (when in the opposition) are now talking of a tax of 27 per cent”, party’s chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala told reporters.

He said that the Congress would “certainly oppose” the multiple rates of the GST up to 28 per cent as it would “break the back of the common man”.

Earlier this month, the GST Council, overcoming opposition from some states finalised a multiple-slab rate structure, including the cess, for the new indirect tax. The quantum of cess on each of these will depend on the current incidence of tax.

While on nearly half of the consumer inflation basket, including food grains, the GST will be at 0 per cent, ultra luxuries, demerit and sin goods, will attract a cess for a period of five years on top of the 28 per cent GST. The highest slab of 28 per cent will include white goods and all those items on which the current rate of incidence varies from 30-31 per cent.

Centre will have to pass the CGST and IGST bills in Parliament at the earliest to meet the deadline of roll out of GST from April 1 next year.

The government on Monday ruled out any rethinking on the issue of demonetisation saying the country has welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to ban Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes. 

At a meeting of the BJP parliamentary board, leaders from across the country said that there is an overwhelming support for the government’s bold move to fight black money and corruption, Union minister Venkaiah Naidu said.