Tax Scan:
New Delhi: Tuesday, December 25, 2018.
The
Government had spent a total of Rs. 1.13 crore to celebrate the first GST Day
on 1st July 2018, an agency under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
said while replying to an RTI query.
Under
the new GST regime, all the indirect taxes such as Excise duty, Service Tax,
sales tax, VAT, luxury tax, entry tax etc. prevailed in India was subsumed.
GST
was launched on the 1st July 2017 in a majestic ceremony held in the Central
Hall of Parliament on the midnight of 30th June 2017. The first year has been
remarkable both for the sheer variety of challenges that its implementation has
thrown up and for the willingness and ability of policy-makers and tax
administrators to rise up to these challenges and respond befittingly.
As
per the Bureau of Outreach and Communication under the ministry, the total
expenditure incurred for providing advertisement promotions and events in
various media and Government departments for commemorating the celebration of
GST day on 1st July 2018 is Rs. 1,13,20,853.
As
per the RTI query, the whole amount was spent on “expenditure on GST
advertisements through this bureau” on print media. It, however, said there was
“nil” expenditure for the same on electronic media and for outdoor media.
Earlier,
through an RTI query, it was revealed that the Government had spent Rs 132.38
crore on advertisements for GST.
The
Bombay High Court, in January this year expressed a view that the Country had
yet not seen a celebration of New Tax regime, but that has followed with great
hue and cry. “These celebrations mean nothing. The special sessions of
Parliament or special or extraordinary meetings of Council would mean nothing
to the assessees unless they obtain easy access to the website and portals,”
the Court said.
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