Delay In GST Admitted....

     Efforts on to build consensus on sticky GST issues

          Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said the Centre is making all efforts to build consensus on sticky issues, especially on jurisdiction of assessees, to ensure GST rollout from April 1, 2017, reports PTI. "We are making all efforts to introduce GST from April 1, 2017. GST has to be implemented latest by September 16, 2017, and if it is not implemented by then, then states will not be able to collect their share of taxes, and hence there is not enough scope to further delay the decision," he said. Inaugurating the two-day Economic Editors' conference, Jaitley said the government has covered a lot of distance for implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and it does not want to resort to voting to decide on any issue at the GST Council meeting. "We have already sorted out 10 issues. The issue of dual control still remains, there is no reason why we will not be able to work out a reasonable solution on this," he said. 

            

             The all powerful GST Council, which is chaired by the Union Finance Minister and has representations from state, has already decided on a four-tier rate structure -- 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent -- with a cess over and above the peak rate for luxury and demerit goods. "One of the objects has been that, since the GST council is a federal decision making process and the manner in which it functions in the initial years will lay down the precedent for the future rather than resorting to voting and division in every small issue. We have been trying to discuss, re-discuss and then reach a consensus and so far most of the major issues we have been able to resolve through consensus," Jaitley said.

From Sources:-