'There is no need to get confused. GST is very simple': Goa CM Manohar Parrikar

Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday said GST is a simple tax system and the prevailing confusion around it is because for the first time such a sweeping reform is being carried out in the country. He said confusion around GST would continue for 2-3 months but the Goa government has put in place robust mechanisms to ensure smooth migration to the new indirect tax regime which will come into force from July 1. "When any new thing is introduced, there is bound to have confusion for a few days. There is no need to get confused. GST is very simple. "Today we have multiple taxes. GST will get all these taxes converted into one and there will be no room for confusion," Parrikar told reporters. The chief minister said there is a lack of adequate information about the new tax regime, but all details will be soon be available in public domain. "It may take 2-3 months for people to understand (GST). But the Goa government is ready to implement GST," he added. Parrikar said "no one needs to be worried as the government will ensure no one is treated harshly." "We are creating support systems (for smooth transition to GST)," he stated. The chief minister said the general consumer would benefit from GST as it will bring down prices of a slew of commodities. Meanwhile, less than a week left for the Centre to roll out the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the CPI (M) today asked why the Centre is hurrying to introduce the new tax regime. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he was the chief minister of Gujarat till May 2014, had opposed the system. "Why this unseemly hurry with GST before putting systems in place? After all, BJP opposed it for several years, especially then CM, Gujarat (sic)," Yechury tweeted. The GST, a pan-India indirect tax set to replace taxes imposed by the Centre and state governments, will be in force from July 1. All states, except Jammu and Kashmir, have already cleared the State GST (SGST) Bill, and are ready for embracing the new tax regime.