With “turf issue” over tax payer jurisdiction continuing to clog GST Council deliberations, the Goods and Services Tax rollout could be delayed by a quarter to July 1 as industry would require time to prepare itself, experts said.
The Council, chaired by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in its six meetings so far has taken unanimous decisions on 10 issues while three more — dual control, list of items in tax bracket and model CGST and IGST laws — are still pending.
PwC India Executive Director Sumit Lunker said the April 1 rollout deadline seems challenging, as the CGST and IGST laws can be passed only in the Budget Session in early February. Thereafter, states will have to pass the SGST law in their assemblies.
“After the law is passed, industry would need at least 3-4 months time to be GST ready, especially on the IT infrastructure front. Most IT companies would come out with their patches and updates after the final law is crystallised. July 1 appears to be a more feasible date for implementation,” he said.
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