New Delhi, Mar 10 (KNN) Government is taking several steps to ensure rollout of GST from July 1, 2017, said Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance adding that all the decisions taken by the GST Council so far have been based on consensus among the Centre and the States. 

The GST Council in its 9th Meeting held on 16 January 2017 took note of the work to be completed for the rollout of GST and after deliberations, agreed to extend the date for rollout of GST from 1st April 2017 to 1st July 2017, Gangwar said in a written reply in the Parliament today.

Steps taken to ensure rollout of GST by 1st July 2017 include approval of the Draft GST Compensation Law by the GST Council in its 10th Meeting on 18 February 2017 held in Udaipur, Rajasthan.

Subsequently, the Draft CGST Law and Draft IGST Law were approved in the 11th Council Meeting held on 4 March 2017 at New Delhi.

The issues of dual control and cross empowerment were resolved in the 9th Meeting of the GST Council held on 16 January 2017 in which a broad agreement was reached on the issue of cross-empowerment to achieve single interface of taxpayer with the tax administration in the GST regime. 

At the Central level, the taxes that are being subsumed in GST are - Central Excise Duty, Additional Excise Duty, Service Tax, Additional Customs Duty commonly known as Countervailing Duty, and Special Additional Duty of Customs, and Cesses and surcharges (Except Clean Energy Cess).

At the State level, the taxes are being subsumed in GST are - State Value Added Tax/Sales Tax, Central Sales Tax (levied by the Centre and collected by the States), Entertainment Tax (other than the tax levied by the local bodies), Octroi and Entry tax, Purchase Tax, Luxury tax, and Taxes on lottery, betting and gambling., and State cesses and surcharges in so far as they relate to supply of goods and services.

Gangwar said GST Council is presently deliberating on various issues entrusted to it. All the decisions taken by the Council so far have been based on consensus. GST is going to be implemented soon in the country, therefore, simultaneous and concert efforts are also being made by the government in the form of IT readiness, rigorous consultations, workshops and training sessions for the industry and traders, and all other stake holders involved etc.