PM FOR MORE STEPS TO HELP SMALL BIZMEN

Promising more measures to ease problems faced by small businesses due to GST, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said a committee of state ministers has accepted most of the suggestions made by them and an announcement is likely in the GST Council meet next week.

Speaking at an event to mark massive jump by India in World Bank’s ease of doing business ranking, Mr Modi said the GST Council had set up panels of state ministers. The next meeting of the Council headed by Union finance minister Arun Jaitley and comprising state finance ministers is scheduled to meet on November 9 and 10 in Guwahati.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday exuded confidence that India’s ease of doing business ranking will further improve next year when the impact of GST is taken into account.

Modi said India has in three years jumped 42 places to break into top 100 countries on World Bank’s ease of doing business ranking.

This ranking takes into account reforms initiated only till Mayend and does not reflect the impact of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which was implemented from July 1, he said.

Taking a dig at the opposition leaders for doubting the ranking, he said those who worked with World Bank are now doubting its ranking.

On the GST, he said a group of ministers has positively accepted issues raised by traders and businesses and the GST Council at its next meeting on November 9-10 will make necessary changes.

He listed out the reforms initiated by his government, saying India is swiftly changing for the better.

Tax filing, registration of new business and getting electricity connection have been made easier.