Congress' Gaurav Gogoi seeks revamp of GST rates in Union Budget

Jorhat (Assam), Jan 9 (PTI) Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Thursday demanded a revamp of different rates under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to give relief to the “hardworking citizens” of the country.

Addressing a press conference here, the Deputy Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha alleged that the ruling BJP at the Centre thinks only about the betterment of affluent people.

"The Congress demands a revamped GST in the upcoming budget. The current GST framework is placing a disproportionate burden on India's middle and lower-middle classes, causing significant inconvenience to hardworking citizens," he said.

The MP pointed out that while the majority of GST revenue is generated by the efforts of the poor and middle class, the contribution from the ultra-wealthy is negligible.

"In 2021-22, 64 per cent of total GST came from the bottom 50 per cent of the population, while only 3 per cent came from the top 10 per cent," he claimed.

Gogoi also alleged that the BJP government provided a Rs 2-lakh crore corporate tax cut in 2019, disproportionately benefiting the wealthiest corporations.

"The government's approach is always to favour the big businesses by reducing corporate taxes. On the other hand, it is increasing levies on essential goods, thus exacerbating the economic hardship for ordinary citizens," he said.

Gogoi underscored the urgent need for ‘GST 2.0’, which would offer a more equitable tax structure.

Talking about Assam, the Congress leader highlighted the “growing disparity” in the state, referring to its 31st rank on the Human Development Index.

"While Assam continues to languish in terms of socio-economic progress, the chief minister ranks 9th among the wealthiest CMs of India," claimed Gogoi.

Gogoi also expressed skepticism about the upcoming investment summit 'Advantage Assam 2.0', and said there has been little transparency or progress regarding the commitments made under the first Advantage Assam programme launched in 2018.

He claimed that of the 63 projects listed under Advantage Assam 1.0, only 10 have been completed, while the status of the remaining 53 projects remains unclear, suggesting that the promised investments have not materialised as expected.

Gogoi urged the state government to provide a comprehensive assessment of the promises made earlier before making claims about new initiatives. PTI TR RBT

Source: PTI