Any new initiative will face problems, says Naidu on GST issue

Chennai, Oct 17: Terming GST as a path breaking measure of the government, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu said any new initiative will face problems but said the focus should now be on implementation of the tax reform and making it more people friendly.

"Any new legislation, any tranformation, there will be some problem and there are problems, how can anybody deny, the debate is on... let it go on," he said. Once having agreed to GST, "now only think about implementing it and how to make it more effective and more people friendly and that is the idea."

Stating that none should worry about criticism, he said the debate, however, needs to be "meaningul and purposeful. Addressing the 90th anniversary celebrations of Andhra Chamber of Commerce, he said the implementation of GST was a collective decision of all political parties and recalled his days as Minister for Parliamentary Affairs when he had mobilised support for the new tax law.

On demonetisation, he said "we have to wage a war against corruption and we have to end black money and one idea was this." "If others have other good ideas (to end graft and black money), "give ideas" to the government and "tell people that they (government) have gone wrong and we will come to power and we will do this." Naidu said the debate should be on those lines rather than opposing while in the opposition and proposing while in government. "it is not a correct thing for democracy." Corruption was eating into the vitals of the system at various levels, he said, adding that he was not referring to any particular party's regime "as it was not my responsibility now" and demonetisation was one step to end it.

He said initiatives like "Save the girl child" of the government should be regarded as "national programmes" and "people's programmes" and not as one of any particular party. In such initiatives there was nothing about party politics.

PTI