500 FAQs on GST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed it as ‘Good and Simple Tax’ , but ask the officers who are foreseeing the implementation of the Goods & Services Tax (GST) – for them life has been anything but good and simple.
Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia on Sunday took to Twitter, busting a series of myths pertaining to GST. To a request for a complete guide on GST as an e-book in English and Hindi and asking all States to come up with translations in the regional languages, Adhia said already 500 FAQs (!) are available online in Hindi, English and 10 regional languages on cbec.gov.in
At the GST launch in Parliament’s Central Hall, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley made a special mention of the contribution of former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha and former Revenue Secretary Vijay Kelkar.
While Kelkar was head of the Committee that recommended a GST on VAT principles, Sinha as the head of Standing Committee on Finance during UPA made important recommendations.
President Pranab Mukherjee, while leaving after the launch, shook hands with Sinha. Not only the special mention, the “handshake” too was a special moment.
Einstein moment
There is no doubt that Prime Minister Narendra Modi stole the show at the GST launch on June 30. Sample this: Once Albert Einstein, an eminent scientist, had said that the most complex thing to understand in this world is income tax. Modi went on to say that he sometimes wondered how Einstein would have reacted to the plethora of taxes in the country.
The total number of taxes in India till recently was about 500. Now, all that has been done away with the launch of GST. “One Nation, One Tax right from Ganganagar to Itanagar and from Leh to Lakshwadeep”, Modi asserted while Members of Parliament applauded.
Partying or tryst with destiny?
While the government chose to call the launch of GST in Parliament’s Central Hall as a second “tryst with destiny”, many critics saw it more as a party! In fact, given industry’s lack of preparedness for GST, many were even heard muttering that while the government would begin “partying” at midnight of June 30, it will mark the start of near disaster for under-prepared firms!
Time to sleep
The NDA government may have chosen to hold a midnight launch of GST.
But unused to the late hours, many attendees were seen yawning and a few were caught nodding off too for a few minutes at the special function held in Parliament Hall.
As honest as he can get …
Arvind Subramanian surely knows how to do some plain-speaking, which also lands him in trouble with the powers that be.
When chatting with BusinessLine recently, Subramanian said “The job of a CEA is to present it (the facts) as it is … I also get into trouble for saying some candid things. But that is my job and I intend to keep it that way …”. Spoken like a true professional!
Yoga again
Adding more responsibilities to its already humongous portfolio, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has taken upon itself to promote Yoga, another flagship of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In a bid to improve their procurement by the government arm meant to ensure cleanliness and civic supplies, the department has been distributing yoga mats sourced for International Yoga Day. The NDMC seems to have realised that tall poll promises made by the BJP of cleanliness during the civic body elections are far from achievable. So the department has decided to opt for tackling a more achievable quest such as Yoga awareness.