Don't increase GST

Higher tax rates will stifle demand and growth

Goods and services tax (GST) collection crossed the Rs 1 trillion mark for the fourth month in a row. The government collected Rs 1.05 trillion in February, which was 8.3 per cent higher than in the same period last year, but was lower than the Rs 1.1 trillion collected in the previous month. While it is encouraging to see the GST mop-up stabilising above the Rs 1 trillion mark, experts note that higher collections could be a result of blocking input credit. Therefore, it will be important to see if the trend sustains in the coming months, especially after the