Budget Session 2017: PM Narendra Modi hopes for breakthrough on GST

Efforts are on to ensure that GST is in place by the end of this session, said PM Modi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hoped for a “breakthrough” on GST and said that efforts are on to enlist the co-operation of all to ensure that it is in place by the end of the Budget session.

Addressing reporters outside Parliament House before the second leg of the session began, Modi hinted at having arrived at a “consensus” on certain decisions with states and political parties on the GST issue. “We are hopeful of a breakthrough on the GST. One of the reasons for our optimism is that all the states have cooperated in a positive manner. All the political parties have also been extremely positive and cooperative in their response. We have been able to move forward in this direction after arriving at a consensus on certain decisions subsequent to detailed discussion on this issue in a democratic manner. The efforts are on to enlist the co-operation of all to ensure that GST is in place by the end of this session,” Modi said.

The Goods and Services Tax Council in its eleventh meeting on Saturday had given in-principle approval to the two key draft laws of Central GST and Integrated GST. Final approval to these laws, along with the other two pending laws of State GST and Union Territory GST is likely by March 16.

The government is expected to introduce the Bills, along with the compensation Bill that had been approved earlier, for clearance in the second leg of the Budget session, which started Thursday.