GST can become a reality but the Bill isn't ready: Anand Sharma

Our Bureau  Updated - January 22, 2018 at 01:33 PM.

The Opposition is in favour of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill and it will become a reality but the current Government is not ready with the legislation, Member of Parliament and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma, said.

"We will do it, but we will do it in a correct way. It is a work in progress. There are three Bills — Central GST, State GST, Inter-State GST. The Government is not ready with these," Sharma said at the 88th AGM of FICCI here on Saturday.

Though there is a vitiated environment because of bitterness that prevails, the Government and Opposition are talking, he added.

"The Government needs to engage with us on all issues. It took the Prime Minister 18 months to realise that there is a multi-party democracy. Engagement can't be restricted to one Bill," he said.

Economic growth is not stalled because of the delay of the GST Bill, Sharma said, adding that the country waited for five years for the Bill, but economic growth did not go into any coma.

He added that it is time to have an honest reappraisal. The Prime Minister must walk the talk, Sharma said. "Merely rebranding, giving logos to schemes, will not make a sputtering economy gallop," he added.

Published on December 19, 2015 07:36