"Implemented major reform in GST": Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw praises PM Modi's address

New Delhi [India], September 21 (ANI): Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation, stating that he has implemented a historic reform in the Goods and Services Tax.

The Union Minister said GST as a reform in itself; however, the changes brought to it will make people’s lives easier.

“PM Narendra Modi has taken a historic decision. He has implemented a major reform in GST. If you look at the various types of taxes that existed before 2014, the country faced a very difficult situation. Moving goods from one place to another required checkpoints, various duties, and different structures, making it extremely difficult. GST itself was a major reform. That reform brought significant improvements to people, especially industry and middle-class families,” Ashwini Vaishnaw told ANI.

He said that the GST reforms have removed burdens and the decision has brought significant relief to the middle class, the poor, and low-income families, and to the lives of 140 crore citizens across the country. He also wished the citizens for “GST Bachat Utsav.”

“Many burdens were reduced, and the decision we have taken today will bring significant relief to the middle class, the poor, and low-income families, and to the lives of 140 crore citizens across the country. As the Prime Minister said, 99% of our daily use items, whether it’s kitchen utensils, clothes, children’s study materials, TVs, refrigerators, scooters, or cars, will see prices come down. There will be savings. Best wishes to all of you on the ‘GST Bachat Utsav’,” he said.

The Union Minister emphasised that due to the new self-confidence in the country, the nation can face every big challenge. He said that India is manufacturing and exporting Made in India equipment in the defence and telecom sectors.

“There is a new self-confidence in the country that we can face even the biggest challenges. Many such things have happened in the meantime. In defence, we never imagined that we would be manufacturing our own equipment and exporting it. In telecom, India today has its own indigenous 4G telecom stack, which can also be converted for 5G. This is a huge achievement for the country, as there were only 5 companies in the world that had a 4G-5G full telecom stack,” Vaishnaw said.

He stressed that the semiconductor sector, which was a long-standing endeavour for the country, has now been achieved, and Vande Bharat was completely indigenously manufactured, and today, they are being discussed worldwide.

“Semiconductors, a long-standing endeavour for many years, have been completed. Complex trains like Vande Bharat were completely indigenously manufactured, and today they are being discussed worldwide. So, adopting indigenous products, becoming self-reliant, and utilising our talent and our design talent, this call by the Prime Minister has immense power,” he added.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to adopt Swadeshi and prioritise Made in India products, as the newly approved Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms come into effect from September 22, the first day of ‘Shardiya Navaratri’.

“We need to make every home a symbol of Swadeshi… every shop should be adorned with Swadeshi products,” the Prime Minister said in his address to the nation.

Calling the GST reforms a “Bachat Utsav”, Modi appealed to people to buy products made in India, saying they carry the hard work and “sweat” of the country’s youth. “We should buy products that are Made-In-India… in which the hard work of our country’s youth is involved… the sweat of our country’s sons and daughters,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the GST reforms reflect the Union Government’s “Nagrik Devo Bhava” mantra and will result in substantial savings for the public.

“We are moving forward by following the mantra of ‘Nagrik Devo Bhava’, and we can see its reflection in the next generation’s GST reforms. If we combine the income tax exemption and the GST exemption, the decisions made in one year will save the people of the country more than Rs 2.5 lakh crore, and that’s why I say, ‘This is a savings festival,'” he said.

Emphasising self-reliance as the path to a developed India, Modi said the reduction in GST rates will directly benefit small businesses and MSMEs. “To reach the goal of a developed India, we must walk on the path of self-reliance, and a very big responsibility to make India self-reliant also lies on our MSMEs. What is needed by the people of the country, what we can make in our own country, we should make right here in the country… The reduction in GST rates and the simplification of rules and procedures will greatly benefit our MSMEs, small industries, and cottage industries,” he added.

He also drew a parallel between Swadeshi during the independence movement and the drive for economic strength.

“Their sales will increase, and they will have to pay less tax, meaning they will also receive a double benefit… Just as the country’s independence gained strength from the mantra of Swadeshi… similarly, the country’s prosperity will also gain strength from the mantra of Swadeshi alone,” he said.

The reform in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) structure approved during the 56th meeting of the GST Council earlier this month is set to come into effect from September 22. (ANI)

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