Special Secretary and Member of Central Board of Excise
and Customs P N Vittal Das today said the Goods and Service Tax (GST) will come
into force across the country from April 1, 2010. Addressing a press conference
here, he said in this connection a paper was circulated to all the concerned
departments by the Empowered Committee headed by a Minister from West Bengal.
Stating that the Committee had conducted series of
meetings with traders, Mr Das said the GST would be
rolled out next year even though there was delay of two
to three months owing to objections from fifty per cent
of the states. The states were pressing for amendement
of the Constitution in respect of implementing the GST,
he said, adding the GST would be implemented by making
certain modifications.
Stating that most of the developed countries had GST and
it was necessary to implement it in the country too, the
official claimed that after implementing it, revenue of
the Centre would go up and the State Governments should
try to mobilise revenue collection after implementing it
in their respective states. To a question, Mr Das said
if any exemptions were sought by the State Governments
under the GST, the Empowered Committee would decide on
it.
Speaking on the Customs and Central Excise,
Visakhapatnam Zone, consisting of Commissionerates in
Vizag, Guntur, Kakinada and Krishnapatnam, he said there
was 940 km of coastal line for which seven vessels had
been allotted for coastal patrolling.
