Minister Sitharaman confident to get GST Bill passed in Parliamant

Dated 17th November, 2015

Promising to push reforms including the Goods and Services Tax and Bankruptcy Code, Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said the government was willing to reach out to the main opposition party Congress to get the GST Bill passed in Parliament.

Sitharaman also dismissed the perception that the loss of BJP in Bihar elections will hurt the government's reform agenda.

"The Finance Minister (Arun Jaitley) is keen to engage with Congress to get GST Bill passed. I hope the GST gets passed at the earliest," Sitharaman told British investors on a video conference.

The Parliamentary process is underway and there is no reason to delay GST any further, she said.

In Dubai, Jaitley told India that he was hopeful of getting the Constitutional (One Hundred Twenty Second Amendment) Bill passed despite Congress volte-face on the country's biggest tax reform.

Sitharaman also said she doesn't see political difference holding back the Bankruptcy Code Bill.

Although British investors raised the issue of bureaucratic red tape delaying reforms, Sitharaman said "I don't think the pace of the bureaucracy is a reason for worry." The system may take some time to catch up with the Prime Minister, she added.

Sitharaman raised the issue of high fees for Indian students saying "UK Visa fees are too high. Students are charged through their nose."

She also expressed concerns over visa restrictions for Indian professionals saying it will be "shortsighted" of UK to make policies that restrict work visas. Qualified students are prohibited from seeking jobs in UK, she said.