GST’s faulty design has killed jobs and businesses,says ex-PM Manmohan Singh

The former Prime Minister raised concerns over the faulty implementation of GST at a meeting at the AICC headquarters.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as implemented has a “faulty design” and that its “complication of compliances” has killed jobs and businesses.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi with former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Randeep Surjewala and other leaders leaves after a meeting regarding the party’s November 8 protest against demonetisation, at AICC headquarters in New Delhi on Monday (Arvind Yadav / HT PHOTO)

At a meeting on GST at the AICC headquarters, Singh raised concerns over the faulty implementation of GST.

“While demonetisation was organised loot and legalised plunder, GST has ended up taking away livelihoods of ordinary people besides shutting down businesses,” Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala quoted Singh as saying.

Surjewala said Singh noted with concern “the fact that the faulty design (of GST), and architecture and complication of compliances have killed jobs and businesses”.

The meeting on GST was attended by Manmohan Singh, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, former minister P Chidambaram, Jairam Ramesh, finance ministers of Congress-ruled states, AICC general Secretaries and in-charges of states.