Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the changes in the Goods and Services Tax (GST), made by the GST Council on Friday, were akin to an early Diwali for small and medium enterprises. Modi made the comment while addressing a public gathering in Dwarka on Saturday morning. The PM is on a two-day visit to Gujarat.
Incidentally, Saturday also marked the day when Modi took over as the Chief Minister of the state for the first time 16 years ago, in 2001. Recalling those days in his address after inaugurating the Palaj campus of IIT Gandhinagar later in the day, Modi said he didn't know much about government then.
Modi remained the CM for over 12 years before being elected the PM in May 2014.
In view of the criticism that the burden of tax on various sectors has gone up due to GST, and that compliance was a tedious process, the GST Council on Friday lowered the tax on 27 items, besides making compliance easier for small and medium businesses. The measures were announced three months after the GST was implemented in the country.
Saying that some important decisions related to GST have been taken, Modi referred to the newspaper headlines, which stated that Diwali has come 15 days earlier. Modi also reiterated his government's commitment to address problems faced by the business community. "We had said that whatever problems related to GST arise in three months, we will address them. We don't want the business community to be stuck in red tape and files," he said.
The PM started his two-day visit to the state by offering prayers at the Dwarkadheesh Temple. Incidentally, Congress VP Rahul Gandhi had also started his Saurashtra yatra in September from the same temple.
Modi also laid the foundation stone for Rs1,000-crore cable-stayed bridge, which would connect Okha and Bet Dwarka.
While doing so, the PM said the bridge was a means to connect with our ancient heritage, and will boost tourism and bring development to the region.
Modi also announced that the country's first Marine Police Institute, aimed at modernising marine security apparatus, will be set up at Devbhumi Dwarka.
The PM's next stop was Chotila in Surendranagar, where he laid the foundation stone for a Greenfield airport for Rajkot. The PM said it was hard to imagine an airport in Surendranagar, but his government was committed to overall development. He also dedicated a milk processing and packaging plant and a drinking water distribution pipeline.
Modi is slated to visit his native town Vadnagar, for the first visit since he became the PM. He will also travel to Bharuch, where he will lay the foundation stone for Bhadbhut barrage over the Narmada river. Besides, he will flag off a new train and inaugurate various GNFC plants as well.
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