Looking For Common Ground on GST; Hope to Pass It Soon: Govt
BANGALORE: Amid opposition from the Congress party on GST Bill, Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha expressed hope that it would be passed soon as the government is willing to consider the suggestions being made and will find "some common ground for everyone".
"We are in continuous consultation with our colleagues in Parliament. Our hope very much is that we will be able to get GST passed. Whatever reasonable suggestions are made from our colleague in opposition, we are absolutely willing to consider it," he said at an event here.
As far as the additional 1 per cent tax in the Goods and Services Tax regime is concerned, he said there have been many opinions voiced on the issue. It has become a key point in the debate on GST.
"We have to find a solution that is acceptable to all stakeholders... We have to find some common ground for everyone," he said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu claimed yesterday that of the total 32 parties represented at the all-party meet, 30 were in favour of the legislation and wanted its early passage.
GST, which will subsume more than a dozen state levies to create a single market, is to be implemented from April 1, 2016. A Constitution Amendment Bill could not go through the Rajya Sabha in the last session of Parliament due to opposition from Congress.
The April 1 deadline may be missed if Parliament does not pass the Bill in the ongoing Winter Session from November 26 to December 23.
Once the Bill is passed, more than half of the states have to ratify it before Parliament passes another enabling bill to implement GST.
