GST would be a major reform in India’s taxation system since 1947?

   The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a value added tax that will replace all indirect taxes levied on goods and services by the Government, both Central and States, once it is implemented. The GST is all set to consolidate all State economies. This will be one of the biggest taxation reforms that will take place in India once the Bill gets officially the green signal to implement. The basic idea is to create a single, cooperative and undivided Indian market to make the economy stronger and powerful. The GST will see a significant breakthrough towards an all-inclusive indirect tax reform in the country.

Bottlenecks in the implementation of GST

Though the Government wants the GST Bill to be implemented by April 2016, there are certain bottlenecks which need to be taken care of before that:

• What preparations are needed at the level of Central and State Governments for implementing the GST?
• Whether the Government machinery is efficient enough for such an enormous change?
• Whether the tax-payers are ready for such a change?
• What will be the impact on the Government’s revenue?
• How will the manufacturers, traders and ultimate consumers be affected?
• Will GST help the small entrepreneurs and small traders?

If everything goes well, most likely the Bill will be legislated by April 2016. According to a study by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), full implementation of the GST could expand India’s growth of gross domestic product by 0.9-1.7 percentage points. By removing the system of multiple Central and State taxes, the GST can help in reducing taxation and filing costs and expand business profitability, thereby attracting investments and promoting GDP growth. Simplification of tax norms can help in improving tax compliance and increasing tax revenues.

CENTRAL GOVT. EMPLOYEES OBSERVED BLACK DAY IN A BEFITTING MANNER ALL ACORSS COUNTRY – SHIVA GOPAL MISHRA

As per decision taken in the meeting of the National Joint Council of Action(NJCA), held on 20th November, 2015, all the constituents of the NJCA, including the Railwaymen, observed “Black Day” on 27th November, 2015, organising massive demonstrations, gate meetings, dharnas, bearing black badges across the country against the retrograde recommendations of the VII CPC, such as 

1. Against the demand of the Staff Side, National Council(JCM) for Minimum Wage Rs.26,000, the VII CPC has recommended Rs.18,000, thereby widening the gap between Minimum and Maximum Wage as 1:13.8 while our demand was to keep this ratio not more 1:8, 
2. The present rate of HRA, i.e. 30%, 20% and 10% has been reduced to 24%, 16% and 8% respectively, 
3. The number of interest-free advance, like Festival Advance, etc. have been recommended to be stopped, 
4. Instead of removing the existing anomalies in the MACPS, the Pay Commission has introduced examination for granting MACP benefit, 
5. The Pay Commission has also refused to make any recommendation against the NPS, 
6. In case of Child Care Leave for women employees, leave wage shall be reduced to 80% for second spell of 365 days CCL.

Giving above referred to details here, Shri Shiva Gopal Mishra, General Secretary, All India Railwaymen’s Federation and Convener, NJCA, said, “almost all the Central Government employees have joined today’s protests and have pledged for sustained struggle”.

  He further said, “if the Central Government does remove retrograde recommendations of the VII CPC and resolve long pending genuine demands of the employees, more than 30 lakh employees working in the Railways, Defence, Postal and other Central Government Organisations, will be forced to go for indefinite strike”.

Central Govt Employees To Get PPO, Other Benefits On Retirement Day

New Delhi: The government has decided to give pension payment order (PPO) and all other retirement benefits on the day of retirement to all 50000 central government employees retiring every year, Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Thursday.

“The goal is to ensure 100 per cent payment of all retirement benefits and the delivery of pension payment order (PPO) to retiring employees on the day of retirement itself,” The Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh said at the inauguration of a workshop on ‘Bhavishya ’, an online pension sanction and payment tracking system for central government retirees.

“Last year of a retiring employee is spent in preparation of pension payment order (PPO) and collecting no-dues certificates as he fears no one will let him in after he retires. The reputation of a retiring government servants becomes such that he is preparing to get his pension on time. This is just not done,” Singh said

“Our experience shows pension payments are considerably delayed. Retirees need a dignified exit from service and can’t be expected to run around for their pension payment order (PPO) and all retirement benefits or make requests to someone for it,” said an official on this occasion.

Bhavishya involves preparation of advance list of employees retiring in the next 12 months and sending each such employee a login and password for ‘ Bhavishya ‘ portal eight months before the date of his retirement on his mobile phone and e-mail ID.

The employee fills up his details on the portal and based on that information, pension forms are auto-generated by the software and submitted for processing. The system then sends SMS and e-mail alerts to the employee, his head of department and disbur...

The Minister said apart from ensuring timely disbursal of pension, the Department is also holding pre-retirement counselling for employees and considering various options on how best to utilize the experience of retired personnel who can contribute a lot to the government and society as they are energetic and resourceful for long beyond 60 years of age.