SHILLONG: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has said the Goods and Services Tax (GST), once rolled out in the State, will benefit Meghalaya despite the initial operational challenges.
Speaking to media persons during an interactive session on the occasion of Republic Day on Thursday, Sangma said several training and awareness programmes for traders and stakeholders will be held to acclimatise them with the pulls and pushes of GST since with the tax reforms, there will be a shift from the old to a new regime.
GST is an indirect tax reform that is aimed at removing tax barriers in states and creating a single market.
“GST is a result of a long-drawn endeavour since the formation of the UPA Government and also the culmination of long discussions and deliberations among the Union Government and all the states,” the Chief Minister said.
Sangma slammed the BJP over the delay in GST saying the saffron party was playing to the gallery before the 2014 elections and now it is delaying the rollout even after the resolution of the initial differences and ratification by state legislative assemblies.
“The formation of the GST council will ensure that whatever has been agreed between the Centre and states is implemented without any scope of confusion,” he said.
Meghalaya was the 21st state that ratified the GST Bill last September but without any discussion.
