With GST delayed, Budget-making just got tougher

Jaitley's speech may not contain indirect tax proposals

The inevitable delay in implementing the national goods and services tax (GST), earlier targeted for April 1, will ensure the Budget-making process is  much more complicated for the finance ministry.

The Centre will have to account for the presently applicable indirect taxes for that part of 2017-18 when GST will not apply.

Earlier, when GST was expected to apply from April 1, when the new financial year begins, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s Budget speech was expected to be completely different from previous editions. Part B, the taxation proposals, was to only have announcements related to direct taxes and customs