New Delhi : The India tax regime will enter a new phase from September 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced. Moreover, the new measures aim to simplify taxation, increase savings for citizens, and strengthen the country’s economy.
Addressing the nation on Sunday evening, the Prime Minister said, “From sunrise on September 22, a new chapter in India’s tax regime will begin.” He described the reforms as the start of a “GST Savings Festival” that will directly benefit people with low-income, the middle class, women, small businesses, and the youth.
“With these reforms, every Indian will save more, and people will buy their preferred items more easily. Consequently, this festive season, everyone’s happiness will multiply,” he added, noting that the new GST structure will boost India’s economic growth.
Reflecting on GST’s journey, the Prime Minister recalled the challenges before 2017, when India’s tax system relied on multiple levies such as excise, VAT, and octroi.
“For decades, citizens and traders faced dozens of taxes. Furthermore, moving goods from one city to another required crossing multiple checkpoints, filing endless forms, and paying arbitrary tolls. As a result, the burden ultimately fell on people with low-income,” he said.
Citing an example, PM Modi said that in 2014, a foreign newspaper reported how a company found it easier to ship goods from Bengaluru to Europe and then back to Hyderabad than to send them directly between the two cities, due to India’s complex tax structure.
He emphasised that the GST reform, launched in 2017 after consultations with states and stakeholders, marked a historic step in freeing the nation from such inefficiencies.
“Additionally, the Centre and states worked together to realise the dream of One Nation, One Tax,” PM Modi said.
Stressing the need for continuous improvement, the Prime Minister noted that the new-generation GST reforms aim to simplify processes, reduce costs, and empower every section of society.
“Reform is a continuous process. Therefore, as times change, so must our systems. Tomorrow marks a new beginning,” he reiterated.
–IANS
