The other main factor affecting India’s growth outlook was the goods and services tax — India’s most ambitious economic reform plan in 70 years. It was rolled out only on July 1, but according to Jaitley, manufacturing slowed down in the months leading up to it because “people were de-stocking.”
The new goods and services tax replaces a thicket of indirect central and state levies that critics argued had blunted economic competitiveness and hobbled efforts to lift more out of poverty. The reform introduced four main tax rate bands on goods and services: 5-, 12-, 18-, and 28 percent irrespective of the location of purchase.
Jaitley said that, in the first few months since the plan was rolled out, the tax receipts collected had been “fairly okay.” Big and medium-sized businesses have adjusted well, he added, but smaller businesses — typically more reliant on cash — will “obviously take some time.”
“Therefore, we are giving them time in terms of compliance burdens,” he said. “I do see people will take time in adjusting to the new setup, and therefore, we are moving slowly in implementing some of the eventual steps which are a part of the [goods and services tax] itself.”
He pointed to several positives that came about from the reform. “The decision-making process of the [goods and services tax] has matured itself. The Council is functioning very effectively. You have a common market which has been created. You have all the barriers which have been removed,” Jaitley said.
In order to get states to comply with the reforms, Jaitley said they were promised a 14 percent yearly increase in tax revenue for the first five years.
“I’m quite sure we’ll be able to maintain that,” he said.
