Post GST Launch, PM Highlights Role of CA in Tackling Black Money
President Pranab Mukherjee rolls out the GST at a special Parliamentary session at midnight.
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- PM Modi hailed the role of CAs in his speech at the Indira Gandhi stadium
- President Pranab Mukherjee rolls out GST at special midnight session of Parliament
- President Mukherjee said GST is tribute to mature Indian politics
- PM Modi said GST is a result of “collective effort” of government and political parties
- GST Council reduces rate on fertilisers from 12 percent to 5 percent
- Congress calls the midnight launch a “tamasha”
- Congress, TMC boycott the midnight GST session
PM Modi Addresses CAs at the Indira Gandhi Stadium
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to chartered accountants at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Delhi stressed upon the fact that the newly launched Goods and Services Tax would help remove black money from the country.
Speaking on the occasion of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India’s (ICAI) founder’s day, Modi praised CAs and their role in maintaining transparency within the financial system by keeping a check on people’s income through the process of audit.
The PM also said that the “nation's growth is dependent on a clean tax regime. GST and demonetisation are key steps in that direction.” Watch Modi’s full speech here:
Amit Shah Extends Congratulations
BJP President Amit Shah congratulated Narendra Modi, Arun Jaitley and all state governmentes following the GST rollout.
Reactions Pour in
Seconds after the GST was rolled out, congratulatory messages poured out on Twitter. Some were not apprehensive about the new taxation system some, a few others welcomed the new regime.
What the Entire GST Launch Looked Like
Watch the GST Launch Live
GST a Tribute to Maturity of Indian Politics: President Mukherjee
President Pranab Mukherjee took the podium to deliver his address at the Central Hall.
He congratulated the GST council for being able to arrive at a consensus.
GST a Collective Effort: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his address to the nation before the nationwide rollout of GST at midnight.
Comparing GST to Gita, Modi said that like GST has had 18 council meetings, like the Gita has 18 chapters.
GST is a system which is easy, and will seek to stop black money and corruption, PM Modi said. GST is important for the welfare of the needy, Modi added.
He said GST stands for “Good and Simple Tax” for its simple taxation system.
Consensual GST Debates Shows that India Can Rise Above Politics: Jaitley
Addressing a packed Central Hall of the Parliament, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that GST will bring a historic change and limitless economic possibilities in India.
He said that the political debates around GST show the co-operative and matured level of Indian politics.
Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda on dais with President Pranab Mukherjee, PM Modi among others. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh skips GST launch event owing to Congress' boycott of the ceremony.
President Pranab Mukherjee Arrives
PM Modi Arrives at GST Launch Event
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at the Parliament for the GST launch event. Business tycoon Ratan Tata also arrived at the venue.
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumatra Mahajan was received by FM Arun Jaitley.
PM Narendra Modi, FM Arun Jaitley, VP Hamid Ansari, LS Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and others at Parliament wait for the arrival of President Pranab Mukherjee.
Protest Against GST at Parliament Complex
Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Telangana Ananda Bhaskar Rapolu protests against GST in front of the Gandhi statue in the Parliament complex.
Rapulo sat with posters demanding handlooms to be treated the same as raw salt, implying that they be exempt from taxation.
Midnight Programme for GST Launch
Next three GST Council meetings will be on 1st Saturday of the month starting from August, 2017.
Sudarshan Pattnaik Welcomes GST With Sand Art
The Quint tries to clarify some doubts regarding GST
GST Rate on Fertilisers Reduced
GST Council reduces rate on fertilisers from 12 percent to 5 percent. The rate on exclusive parts of tractors has also been brought down 28 percent to 18 percent.
School supplies like pencils and books are unlikely to get costlier under the GST regime, HRD minister Prakash Javadekar says.
Different Billing at Restaurants
Restaurants to bill differently today, pre and post GST rollout at midnight.
With a single tax replacing the current system of multiple taxes, eating out may become cheaper, but restaurants are looking at ways to bill their midnight diners tonight.
When the eateries open tomorrow, the new tax rates will be in effect.
Although, under the new GST, the taxes applicable on airconditioned and non-aircontioned spaces will be 18 per cent and 12 per cent respectively, Sukhija said charges for AC restaurants would be levied even if a customer dined outdoors.
This Cycle Will Go On: Jaitley Responds to Rahul's Remark on Gala Event
Responding to Rahul Gandhi who termed the GST launch as a “self-promotional spectacle”, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said:
"Karvan toh chalta rahega (This cycle will go on). Those who won't take part, would not stop it," he said.
He also appealed to the opposition parties who have boycotted the gala to rise above partisan politics.
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor criticised the BJP government for excluding “too many versions” in its version of the GST, adding that it will hurt shopkeepers, traders and small businesses.
GST council meeting begins in New Delhi
Finance Minster Arun Jaitley chairs the 18th GST Council meeting at Vigyan Bhavan. The meeting is being attended by Finance Ministers of all states except West Bengal.
Parliament Decked Up Ahead of the GST Rollout
BloombergQuint Gives You a Crash Course on GST
The Quint Finds Out What Delhi's Traders Know About GST
J&K to Hold Special Session to Build Consensus
A special session of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly is being held from 4 July to discuss the implementation of GST in the state. The session is being held to build consensus over the implementation of GST in the state.
GST Arrest Clause May be Used to Target Dissent: Mamata
In a post on Facebook, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote that unlike the stroke of midnight on 14 August when India won her freedom, at the stroke of midnight today, freedom and democracy faces grave danger.
Slamming the arrest clause in GST, Mamata argued that it maybe used to target business leaders.
Read the full Facebook post below:
The Quint Finds out How Mumbai Is Gearing up for GST
Odisha Finance Minister to Attend GST Launch Event
Odisha Finance Minister SB Behera will attend the mid-night launch event of landmark tax reform Goods and Services Tax (GST) at Parliament's Central Hall on midnight.
The GST will be implemented from 1 July. The Odisha government has welcomed the new tax regime.
"The GST will bring about comprehensive reform of the indirect tax regime in the country and a major financial reform to make India a single market," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had said while addressing the legislators in a workshop on GST held ahead of the Odisha Assembly's special session on 18 May to pass the Odisha Goods Services and Tax Bill.
GST is Being Rushed Through in Half-Baked Way
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi backed Congress’ stand on not attending GST meet and said, “Reform that holds great potential is being rushed through in a half-baked way with a self-promotional spectacle.”
Reiterating the party’s reason of not attending the launch, he said India deserves a GST rollout that does not put crores of its ordinary citizens, small businesses and traders through tremendous pain and anxiety.
Parties Agreed Earlier, Why the Fuss Now?: Praful Patel
NCP heavyweight and former Union Minister Praful Patel criticised the Opposition parties for boycotting the GST launch function.
Confused About GST? The Quint has the answers
The Quint’s Editorial Director Sanjay Pugalia and tax-expert Sharad Kohli answer your questions on GST.
TMCs Opposition to GST Is Political: Meghwal
With the Trinamool Congress deciding to boycott the midnight Parliament session called to launch the GST, BJP minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said that the party had supported the move both in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha and their opposition now was political.
"Trinamool Congress had supported the GST in the LS and RS. Their opposition now is due to political reasons," Union Minister of State for Finance Meghwal said.
He urged the Trinamool Congress to withdraw its opposition as West Bengal being a consuming state stands to benefit immensely.
Traders Protest Against GST Launch
With the GST launch scheduled on the midnight of 30 June, businessmen in various states launched protests against it.
Traders in Bhopal called for a bandh in protest against GST and all major markets in MP's Bhopal to remain shut. Traders in Kanpur stopped 4102 Jhansi Express train in protest against GST.
UP Minister Fails to Spell out Full Form of GST
The full form of GST is...," fumbled an Uttar Pradesh minister as he struggled to get the correct answer just less than 48 hours before the roll-out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Social Welfare, Scheduled Castes and Tribal Affairs minister Ramapati Shastri was caught on the wrong foot today when mediapersons asked him to expand the abbreviation while he was interacting with local businessmen in Maharajganj to apprise them of the benefits of the much-touted new tax regime.
Though someone from the background tried to prompt the minister, he failed to make use of the clue.
JD(U) to Attend GST Launch, Nitish Kumar to Give it a Miss
Amid continuing differences within Bihar's ruling Grand Alliance, the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) has decided to attend the rollout of GST in Parliament, while Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) – like the Congress – will not.
Senior JD-U leader and Bihar Energy Minister Bijender Prasad Yadav will attend the special session of Parliament on Friday midnight.
However, Bihar Chief Minister and party President Nitish Kumar will not be present at the rollout function.
Arun Jaitley Urges Opposition to Attend GST Launch
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today appealed to the Congress and Left parties to reconsider their decision to boycott the gala GST launch event, saying the landmark indirect tax reform was a result of joint decisions and they cannot run away from it now.
Hundreds of decisions on GST, including rules as also the tax rates, were taken by consensus in the GST Council which comprises of not just the Centre but also representatives of all states run by different political parties, he said. As quoted by PTI, Jaitley said:
RJD, DMK, CPI, TMC and Congress to Boycott GST Session
The Congress decided to keep away from the special midnight 30 June meeting convened by the government on GST implementation.
Party's senior spokesperson Satyavrat Chaturvedi said "the Congress will not attend the special GST meeting on GST implementation."
The decision came after Congress President Sonia Gandhi met former prime minister Manmohan Singh along with other leaders. The Trinamool Congress has already announced its decision to boycott the event.
The DMK, the CPI followed in the Congress’ footsteps and decided to boycott the launch.
Lalu Prasad-led Rashtriya Janata Dal too has decided against attending the special midnight meeting.
The JD(U), the RJD's partner in Bihar, however, will attend the meeting.
GST Launch At Midnight: Here’s The List Of Invitees
It will be a starry midnight in the historic Central Hall on 30 June that will have politicians, industrialists and celebrities – from megastar Amitabh Bachchan to industry doyen Ratan Tata – in attendance at the launch of India's most sweeping tax reform, the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Unlike the last midnight event held in 1997 on the occasion of golden jubilee of the Independence at a special session of Parliament, it will be a gala event at its circular-shaped hall that has been loaned for the launch of the historic reform.
Reminiscent of India's tryst with destiny on the midnight of 15 August 1947, the event will be graced by President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Roti, Kapda, Makaan: How GST Will Affect Your Monthly Budget
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) has dominated headlines for over a year now, and through all the confusing economic jargon, (and the ‘will they, won’t they’ in Parliament), here’s how India’s biggest tax reform is actually going to affect you by the end of the month.
Read the full story on The Quint.
9 Basic Questions About GST You Should Know the Answers to by Now
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is all set to roll out. Amid all the fanfare and the headlines spread across front pages, if you’re itching to ask some basic questions but are too embarrassed, here’s your one-stop shop.
GST or the Goods and Services Tax is a single indirect tax that is expected to replace the existing system of multiple indirect taxes – making way for a pan-India, comprehensive system.
The main aim of GST is to end multiple taxation at different levels of the supply chain. Earlier for instance, if you're a resident of Madhya Pradesh but purchased a car in Tamil Nadu, you would be taxed several times – there'd be the Tamil Nadu state tax, followed by Excise Duty, followed by sales tax.
Read the full story here.
Government All Set for Roll Out GST at Midnight
The stage is all set for the rollout of the major indirect tax reform measure – Goods and Services Tax (GST) – in Parliament's Central Hall on Friday night.
The launch will take place at the stroke of midnight after speeches by President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the presence of Vice President Hamid Ansari, MPs, Chief Ministers and state Finance Ministers besides a host of industralists and legal luminaries.
The hour-long event seeks to evoke memories of the "Tryst with Destiny" moment of 1947 when first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru made his famous speech to mark India's independence.
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