Not Consulted on GST - CBEC Chief's remarks echoed in Parliament

By Vijay Kumar

THE CBEC Chief Shanti Sundharam is reported to have remarked that she was not consulted on GST stating, "We did not even get the recent re-revised draft of the Constitutional Amendment Bill from the department of revenue."

These words were echoed in the Lok Sabha yesterday.

Participating in the budget discussions in the Lok Sabha yesterday, Bhartruhari Mahtab, the MP from Cuttack said,

"In the Budget, the Finance Minister has said about GST. Before taking up the amendment of the Constitution to introduce GST, this Government must plug several loopholes in the draft legislation. The trust deficit that existed between the Union Government and the State Governments must go. But I am surprised when the CBEC chief says very openly that she has not been consulted by the Finance Ministry on GST. GST aims to replace almost all the indirect taxes in the country with a single tax. It will replace Central Excise, Customs Duty and Service Tax, all that is administered by CBEC. How come its chief is not consulted? This was reported in the media on 14th. Has this been sorted out?"

Will the FM sort this out and answer the Hon'ble Member when he replies to the Budget Debate?