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Modi to review GST, black money policy

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In a meeting on the coming Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will review the revenue department´s efforts to crack down on circulation of undisclosed money in the  economy.
This is in the wake of the tepid response to the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana.The income declaration scheme, launched after currency demonetisation, elicited disclosures worth only Rs 4,600 crore.
In the meeting, the PM will also review the department´s preparedness on the nationwide goods and services tax (GST), scheduled for launch on July 1
Revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia will giveapresentation on the department´s performance over the past year and the plan for the current financial year (which began on  April 1). Also present would be the heads of the Central Board of Direct Taxes and Central Board of Excise and Customs —Sushil Chandra and Vanaja Sarna, respectively.
“The PM will go through our future strategy and give inputs,” said a senior official.
The government aims to stay with the July 1 implementation date for GST, despite businesses wanting this deferred till September 1. The revenue department will  highlight the outreach efforts to spread awareness.
It is to organise awareness camps in towns withapopulation of 100,000 and more; it has also asked states to conduct training for their legislators.
Telangana and Bihar have passed the State GST Bills in their legislatures; Rajasthan is scheduled soon.
By midMay, 14 states should have enacted this, and all by May 31.
Adhia might also highlight the progress on restructuring of the Central Board of Excise and Customs toaCentral Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.
On direct taxes, the department would stress the growth in collection for 201617, when advance tax and selfassessment tax grew at the highest rate in five years.
Advance tax grew by 15 per cent in 201617 versus 7.5 per cent earlier.
Self assessment tax grew 24 per cent, from five per cent the previous year. Income tax returns grew 21.7 per cent and gross collection by 16 per cent, again the highest  in five years.
FLY AFFORDABLE Prime Minister Narendra Modi atarally in Shimla on Thursday.
Under the government´s ambitious regional air connectivity scheme UDAN, Modi flagged off the flight from Shimla to Delhi carrying 12 passengers.
UDAN, which seeks to make flying affordable by connecting unserved and underserved airports, provides for viability gap funding which would be shared by the Centre and  the state concerned.
The Business Standard New Delhi, 28th April 2017

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