With the change at the Centre, Gujarat government today said the "trust deficit" between Centre and states, which was delaying GST roll out, has been removed and hoped the new indirect tax regime could become a reality soon.
Rejecting allegations by the previous UPA regime that Gujarat was hampering progress on Goods and Services Tax, the state Finance Minister Saurabh Patel said several states including Congress ruled ones had issues and did not have faith in the then central government addressing them.
"One thing is that states never completely objected to GST. Even Gujarat never also objected to what GST was. In all our meetings we were assured by the Centre that CST compensation is going to be given. Unfortunately it was never passed on.
"So what it resulted was that lack of faith between Centre and states started. So the trust deficit arose because of non implementation of promises," Patel told PTI.
He was here to participate in a meeting of Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers.
Now, Patel said things have changed and there is no trust difference between the Centre and states over crucial issues on GST.
"Now after Arun Jaitley coming as Finance Minister, he has assured us and put in Budget speech also that states interest will be looked after. So we are very confident, at least Gujarat is confident, that the interest of states will be protected," the Minister said.
When asked by when GST could be rolled out, Patel said it might take time, but if everything falls in place, Jaitley's "intention can be fulfilled".
In his Budget speech, Jaitley had said: " I do hope we are able to find a solution in the course of this year and approve the legislative scheme which enables the introduction of GST" while assuring all states that Centre will be "more than fair in dealing with them".
