<p data-style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span data-style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #333333; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Prime Minister<span data-style="font-size:12.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:#333333"> <span data-style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><span data-style="font-size:12.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:#3CA2C8;text-decoration:none;text-underline:none">Narendra Modi<span data-style="font-size:12.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#333333"> <span data-style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #333333; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">struck a bipartisan note in his remarks in the<span data-style="font-size:12.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:#333333"> <span data-style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><span data-style="font-size:12.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:#3CA2C8;text-decoration:none;text-underline:none">Lok Sabha<span data-style="font-size:12.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#333333"> <span data-style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #333333; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">on the success of the landmark Goods and Services Tax (GST) legislation. He said the credit for the passage of the Bill belongs to all sections of the polity.<span data-style="font-size:12.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";color:#333333">
_"After close to 70 years of Independence, an important move to free the nation from tax terrorism has begun," said PM Modi.
_"GST means 'Great Step by India'. It means 'Great Step towards Transformation'. It means 'Great Step towards Transparency'," he said, to applause from the MPs.
_"I want to thank all parties and state governments. This is something they have all put serious thought into," said PM Modi.
_"This is not a victory for one political section or the other. This is a victory for the highest political traditions of this country. It belongs to everyone. So, I don't believe there is any need for us to debate if it is a victory or defeat for one side or the other," he added.<span data-style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p> <p data-style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span data-style="font-size:12.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#333333">_PM Modi also spoke to the intended role of GST to bring all of India under the same taxation structure. "When we look at the Railways, we can feel 'One India'. We can also feel 'One India' when we look at post offices, IAS, IPC, CrPC, Bharat Net, Digital India or Sagar Mala," said Modi.<span data-style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p> <p data-style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span data-style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">He also however acknowledged the differences between different parties and entities that had to be overcome to bring the GST to fruition. "Whenever we do anything, somebody is bound to think this would have been better if the full stop or comma had been used differently. That is natural. That is why we have attempted to find common ground," said the PM. "This was not about a Parliamentary majority. This was about consensus," he added. <p data-style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span data-style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #333333; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Modi outlined some of the benefits that GST is intended to bring. "Because of GST, all transactions will be certified. There will be no scope for discrimination in banks from milkman to rich. Anyone can now go and seek a loan without discrimination as GST will take the discretion out of the hands of banks," Modi said.<span data-style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p>
_"After close to 70 years of Independence, an important move to free the nation from tax terrorism has begun," said PM Modi.
_"GST means 'Great Step by India'. It means 'Great Step towards Transformation'. It means 'Great Step towards Transparency'," he said, to applause from the MPs.
_"I want to thank all parties and state governments. This is something they have all put serious thought into," said PM Modi.
_"This is not a victory for one political section or the other. This is a victory for the highest political traditions of this country. It belongs to everyone. So, I don't believe there is any need for us to debate if it is a victory or defeat for one side or the other," he added.<span data-style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p> <p data-style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span data-style="font-size:12.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#333333">_PM Modi also spoke to the intended role of GST to bring all of India under the same taxation structure. "When we look at the Railways, we can feel 'One India'. We can also feel 'One India' when we look at post offices, IAS, IPC, CrPC, Bharat Net, Digital India or Sagar Mala," said Modi.<span data-style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p> <p data-style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span data-style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">He also however acknowledged the differences between different parties and entities that had to be overcome to bring the GST to fruition. "Whenever we do anything, somebody is bound to think this would have been better if the full stop or comma had been used differently. That is natural. That is why we have attempted to find common ground," said the PM. "This was not about a Parliamentary majority. This was about consensus," he added. <p data-style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span data-style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #333333; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Modi outlined some of the benefits that GST is intended to bring. "Because of GST, all transactions will be certified. There will be no scope for discrimination in banks from milkman to rich. Anyone can now go and seek a loan without discrimination as GST will take the discretion out of the hands of banks," Modi said.<span data-style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p>
<span data-style="font-size:12.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#333333">_He also said efforts had been made to keep anything that affects consumer inflation out of the ambit of the GST. He added that GST would serve to reduce the cost of tax collection and lead to greater transparency by bringing down the interface between tax payer and tax collector.