GST needs reform: Rahul Gandhi

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the Goods and Service Tax (GST) needs a reform, adding that his party had tried to explain Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government that it was a matter of competitiveness of India.

"The GST with five slabs cannot work, we asked maximum slab to be put at 18 percent but we were not heard. The point is very simple, the GST needs reforms," Gandhi said.

Gandhi asserted that the Congress Party had cautioned the government about the the drawbacks of implementation of the GST in the "wrong way".

"The Congress party has tried to explain many times both formally and informally to Prime Minister Modi, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader about the drawbacks of implementation of the GST in the wrong way. We explained them that it is not a matter of our political parties, but it's the matter of competitiveness of India," he added.

Later in the day, the Gandhi scion will participate in a candle-light vigil in Gujarat's Surat as part of "Black Day" protest on the first anniversary of demonetisation and will also interact with the traders.

Yesterday, Union Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal has met businessmen in Surat and claimed that the traders unanimously welcomed the Goods and Services Tax (GST).