GST concessions too little and too late: Left

The Left parties have said that the concessions in GST are too little and too late.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said his party has been warning about the mess created by an “incompetent” government on GST roll out. “Finally, it acknowledges failure but no meaningful steps,” he said. Yechury added that though the government removed the restriction that one has to provide PAN or Aadhaar details to purchase jewellery over ₹ 50,000, but it wants each paisa spent by common Indians to be tracked by Aadhaar. “Removing purchase of jewellery from the ambit of PMLA helps whom? Like Demonetisation, another Modi scheme to benefit money laundering,” Yechury said.

CPI general secretary Sudhakar Reddy said the relief to 8 out of the 27 items exists only in Gujarat. “This is a gimmick with an eye on elections in Gujarat. Reducing ₹ 2 as tax on petrol and diesel is also an election tactic. Concession to exporters is a help to rich donors of the ruling party.

Reddy said Prime Minister Narendra Modi commented that Diwali has come early with GST concessions. “It is like his ‘Achhe Din’ promise which never came. Finance minister should accept his mistake in bringing GST in a hurry, without proper preparations and unreasonable tax slabs. He still continues to be arrogant, in spite of exposure of the hollowness of the moves of demonetisation and GST which hurt hard the Indian economy,” Reddy said in a statement here on Saturday.

CPI demanded that all taxes on petrol and diesel should be done away with and it should be brought under GST within a reasonable slab. “CPI demands that a thorough review of the entire GST slabs with proper discussions with political parties, people’s representatives, and concerned small businessmen’s representatives. Finance Minister should come down on earth and needs to make a thorough review of the entire gamut of GST and its implementation,” Reddy said.

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