GST may not boost revenues significantly in next few years: Fitch ratings

24 May 2017 Evaluate

The Goods & Services Tax (GST) which is finally scheduled to rollout from July 1, may not boost revenues "significantly" in the next few years. Global rating agency Fitch Ratings in its latest report has said that though most of the industries are likely to benefit with GST, there are also concerns that it will likely keep government revenues a bit muted in the near term. Fitch has said that GST reform may not boost revenues significantly in the next few years, but it can indirectly boost revenues in the medium term through higher GDP growth and more transparency.

The rating agency noting GST as an important reform being implemented, has said that it will facilitate trade within India and reduce transaction costs. Earlier, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia too had said that the tax buoyancy under GST is likely to take a hit immediately, while Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said that the revenues under GST may see an indirect increase with the widening of the tax net and less tax evasion.

Fitch though has found demonetization as a bold step taken by the country to curb black money and many other reforms like Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, Aadhaar, Make in India, FDI-related measures and labour market laws as strong reforms, it has said that the country’s governance standards were still weak as far as voice and accountability, government effectiveness, rule of law and control of corruption were concerned. It further stated that some significant improvements have taken place in India in recent years, such as on the monetary front, but there are some other factors constraining India's rating, including the high general government debt burden.

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