Budget hints at roll-out of GST on July 1

GST would subsume central and state levies like excise duty, service tax and VAT

The Union Budget has hinted at July 1, 2016, as the roll-out date for goods and services tax. In midst of state elections, the NDA government, however, did not go in for the much-expected increase in service tax rate.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley did not give any timeline on the new indirect tax regime. The excise duty notification for inputs used for fuel cell biogas power system, bio-gas, hydrogen and bio-methane, however, says