CAIT sharpens pitch on GST Bill, wants Congress to back the legislation

NEW DELHI: Throwing its weight behind passage of the GST Bill, traders body CAIT today urged Congress President Sonia Gandhi to back the legislation "so that the much-awaited tax reform could see the light of day".

In a communication sent to Gandhi, CAIT said "the roadblocks are giving a dismal picture of such an important tax reform in the country, which has become more of a political battle rather than a tax reform".

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has also sought an audience with Gandhi on the contentious issue.

The traders body spoke of its intention to meet leaders of all political parties and urge them to support GST and will also send a memorandum to chief ministers of all states in this regard.

CAIT has decided to launch a nation-wide protest campaign that will target all such parties opposing GST.

"We cannot wait for an indefinite period for rollout of GST... want GST to be passed in the next session of Parliament at any cost," CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said.

However, CAIT said it has its own concerns about the proposed GST, but stalling of its passage is depriving the body of the opportunity of being heard.

Subsuming various central and state-level taxes in GST will simplify and rationalise tax structure, it hoped.

Yesterday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the GST Bill will be put to vote in the next Parliament session even if the Congress continues to oppose it.

The government has been insisting that most of the parties except the Congress are in favour of GST, which once rolled out will bring about a uniform indirect tax regime.

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, which has been approved by the Lok Sabha, is pending in the Rajya Sabha.