Nirmala Sitharaman Highlights Non-Political Spirit in GST Council

By A Staff Reporter

Chennai, Tamil Nadu: Speaking at a Revenue Bar Association event in Chennai, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman shed light on the non-political nature of discussions within the GST Council. Addressing a gathering, Sitharaman noted that Finance Ministers, irrespective of their political affiliations, come together to ensure greater simplification, rationalization, and revenue generation for the benefit of the country.

"People belonging to different parties as Finance Ministers, when they come into the GST Council meeting, speak about how we have to work to ensure greater simplification, greater rationalization, and of course, revenue generation," she said. Sitharaman emphasized that while political differences exist outside, the GST Council is where the least amount of politics comes into play.

She elaborated that every Finance Minister strives for good revenue generation and a widened tax base but remains mindful of not imposing undue burdens on their constituencies. "Every Finance Minister is also conscious that when they go back to their own constituency, they should be able to answer people that we are not extracting revenue which is not justified," she explained.

Sitharaman concluded by highlighting that the primary focus is to prevent tax evasion and ensure that compliance is made simpler, encouraging taxpayers to comply rather than evade.