21/11/2016
CentreState stalemate over GST jurisdiction continue
Stalemate between the Centre and states over administrative control under the proposed goods and services tax (GST)
regime continued today with an informal meet called by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley failing to break the deadlock. Mr. Jaitley’s informal meeting with state finance ministers failed to arrive at a common ground on how Centre and states will control assessees under the new regime that will subsume an array of taxes like excise duty and service tax as well as VAT, multiple ministers participating in the meeting said. With states unrelenting on their position of being given right to control all assessees with up to Rs 1.5 crore annual turnover, it was decided that officials will meet again tomorrow before the meeting of the all powerful GST Council on November 25. “The meeting has remained incomplete. Discussions will continue on November 25,” Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told reporters after the over three hour long meeting.
The issue has remained a contentious one during the previous two GST Council meetings and any disagreement at the next meet holds potential of derailing rollout of the GST from the targeted April 1, 2017. Mr. Jaitley had earlier this month stated that the proposed GST needs to be rolled out by September 16, 2017 before the validity of the Constitutional Amendment brought in by Centre and ratified by states expires.