GST: Get set for tomorrow

NEW DELHI: India is bracing with tense anticipation for the inauguration of the goods and services tax (GST), which is expected to rewrite the rules of business, while reducing the burden on the common man.

GST is billed to integrate India into a common market, bigger than the European Union. Proponents say that by doing away with the plethora of taxes and barriers on state borders, GST will accelerate economic growth.

But while the promise is enticing, apprehension of disruption has been straining the nerves of policymakers, and businessmen, both large and small.

The Centre has ignored calls to postpone the launch by at least a few months and chosen to press ahead with it. The high-profile midnight launch in the Central Hall of Parliament has certainly raised the stakes for the government.

However, the government is seeking to buffer the initial bumps, which, it concedes, can’t be avoided because of the scale of the task and the size of the country.

With rule-making on GST going on till the last minute, the government has already eased rules – from introduction of an electronic way bill or a border pass, to filing requirements and the need to deduct tax paid to vendors by government departments and e-commerce companies.