Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said the Goods and Services Tax (GST) might have flaws but it is the “kanoon (law) of the country” now.
During an interaction with businessmen, entrepreneurs and Chartered Accountants in Pune, Sitharaman said: “We just can’t damn GST now. It has been passed in Parliament and in all state assemblies. It might have flaws, it might probably give you difficulties but I’m sorry, it’s the ‘kanoon’ of the country now.”
She was responding to a question on GST asked by one of the attendees. “Suddenly we cannot say, ‘what a goddamn structure is this (Goods & Service Tax)’. I wished from day 1, that it met with your satisfaction but I am sorry that it did not meet with your satisfaction,” she further added.
#WATCH Finance Min during interaction with businessmen,entrepreneurs,CAs&others in Pune:We just can’t damn GST now. It has been passed in Parliament&in state assemblies. It might have flaws,it might probably give you difficulties but I’m sorry,it’s the ‘kanoon’ of the country now pic.twitter.com/tAPcQmHh5H
— ANI (@ANI) October 11, 2019
ALSO READ: PM Modi to campaign in poll-bound Maharashtra from Oct 13 to 18
Later, Sitharaman took to Twitter to state that a participant from the audience spoke completely deriding the GST. “I had halted him to say that he’s welcome to give suggestions and on his request to meet me with a delegation, gave him 23rd Oct ‘19 even from the dais,” she tweeted.
Request @ANI to upload the question too, wherein a participant from the audience spoke completely deriding #GST. Had halted him to say that he’s welcome to give suggestions & on his request to meet me with a delegation, gave him 23rd Oct ‘19 even from the dais. @FinMinIndia https://t.co/T1r85r0KZl
— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) October 11, 2019
#WATCH Second part of Nirmala Sitharaman’s answer to a question on GST, at an event in Pune, Maharashtra https://t.co/IqoSpaQhcW pic.twitter.com/TG9h5WynGK
— ANI (@ANI) October 11, 2019
In September, the GST collection had declined to Rs 91,916 crore, as against Rs 98,202 crore in the preceding month. Earlier, the collections had dropped to Rs 98,202 crore in August from over Rs 1.02 lakh crore in July 2019.