Chidambaram may go for minor changes in indirect tax in his Interim Budget

17 Feb 2014 Evaluate

In the Interim budget 2014-2015, Finance minister P Chidambaram, although is expected to resist the temptation to announce any populist measures ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, but is expected to announce minor changes in indirect tax rates of a few goods and services and also withdraw the so-called ‘super-rich’ tax of 10% surcharge imposed last year on those with annual taxable earnings of Rs 1 crore.

Given that this would be UPA’s II last budget, the Finance Minister, along with the budget will present a vote-on-account, a shorter version of the budget, to seek Parliament's sanction for spending till July, where it is likely list out details of the UPA regime's social and economic achievements. The minister is expected to focus on how the government has been able to contain the fiscal deficit and the current account deficit (CAD), notwithstanding the difficult global situation. As per current indications, the fiscal deficit this financial year is expected to be less than 4.8 per cent of GDP estimated in the budget, mainly on account of expenditure compression and higher realization from the 2G spectrum auction. Further, the Finance Minister is widely expected to articulate the need for unwavering focus on fiscal discipline even in a poll-bound year, given the fragile state of public finances.

There may be some sops for the common man and sectors that need help. Earlier, FM had indicated that he may tweak excise duties and service tax rates in the interim budget to boost the economy, but  may not pursue key reform legislation due to lack of political consensus.

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