Satya Poddar

Exemptions, which are supposed to be pro-poor, should be replaced by direct benefit transfer

GST will be a "game-changer" as both the Centre and State governments will sacrifice their fiscal autonomy in favour of the new tax

Its economic efficiency and simplicity are diluted and it contains the most toxic sections from the legacy laws of the Centre and states

The world over, the principal objectives of tax reform are promotion of investment and economic growth, efficiency and simplicity

The panel's recommendations question the architecture of the goods and services tax, going far beyond the arithmetic calculation, but its proposal of an interim two-rate structure is far from optimal

The withdrawal of incentives is a sensitive proposal as it entails both gainers and losers

The Goods and Services Tax processes in their current avatar appear one-sided. What we need is a transparent, consultative mechanism

Notwithstanding the disappointing Select Panel report, the GST Bill can be salvaged with simple adjustments and the backing of stakeholders

Though the GST Council will design the tax, it is imposed with significant constraints on the choices it can make

The incremental revenues from taxation of land and liquor will help in keeping the GST rate low

For the government to go forward, it should build a better structure for research and policy analysis for the goods and services tax

The TARC report calls for the formation of a tax council to make the administration less adversarial and more productive

We need a system that helps entrepreneurs and allows smooth administration

The Parliamentary Committee's endorsement has lifted this critical indirect tax reform above the quagmire of divisive politics

The move reflects willingness of the finance minister and the CBDT to remain flexible to emerging needs of the new business models

The Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers' design squeezes out the politics from the new tax but makes it unacceptable as an alternative to the existing structure

This years Budget has been widely acclaimed as bold and responsible. Yet, investors, both foreign and domestic, may greet it with only a yawn.

The introduction of the indirect transfer provisions with retrospective effect was bad politics and bad economics