Confident of meeting April deadline for GST rollout: Adhia

However, deadline may be hard to meet if resolution of issues like rate of tax and items to be exempted take longer

The government is confident of rolling out the GST regime from April 1 next year, but the deadline might be difficult to meet, if resolution of issues like the rate of tax and items to be exempted take longer, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said on Sunday.

The GST Council, comprising of Union finance minister and representative of all 29 states, will decide on the central and state taxes, that are to be subsumed in the national sales tax (GST) he said.

Adhia said the GST Council shall make recommendation to the Centre and states on the cesses and surcharges levied by the Union, states and local bodies which may be subsumed in the goods and services tax (GST).

“Which all cesses will merge will depend upon the decision of the GST Council. If all cesses are merged in the GST, the requirements of revenue for union government would have to be assessed higher, because the income coming to Union from GST instead of cess will now have to be devolved at the rate of 42 per cent to the states,” he said.

While the taxes to be subsumed under GST are to be decided by the Council, he said the taxes which will not have separate identity include excise duty, VAT, service tax, additional excise duty, CVD, special additional duty of customs, entertainment tax, luxury tax, Octroi, entry tax, purchase tax, taxes on lottery, betting and gambling, among others.

”As of now, we are optimistic of achieving the target of April 1, 2017. We have already made a plan for training of 60,000 officials, which has already started. 5,000 officers are already trained.  The IT backbone will be ready for testing by January, 2017,” he said.

Stating that the government will do its best to achieve the target date of rollout, Adhia said the only concern remains resolution of issues by the GST Council.

“If the resolution of various issues in the GST Council takes more time than expected, then there would be difficulty in achieving the target,” he said.

In case the deadline is missed, it is theoretically possible to roll out GST from the middle of the year but the trade and industry will need to be consulted as some of the big companies have to change their software to accommodate the new taxation regime, he added.

On the GST rate being talked about in the range of 18-20 per cent, he said, “The rate and rate structure can only be based on facts and figures on the existing revenue of states and Centre which are to be discussed in the GST Council.

“At the moment it is not possible to say yes or no to any such artificial number. The decision on rates will also depend on list of exempt items, list of demerit commodities, among others.”