GST Council may replace 12% and 18% slabs with 14-15% one: Sushil Modi, National : Today Indya

GST Council may replace 12% and 18% slabs with 14-15% one: Sushil Modi

National

business-standard

At present, around 49 countries use a single GST rate, 28 use two rates and four countries, including India, have more

GST Council may replace 12% and 18% slabs with 14-15% one: Sushil Modi

The Goods and Services Tax Council might replace the 12 per cent and 18 per cent slabs with a 14-15 per cent one, said Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi on Thursday.

While addressing a seminar on the GST, organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Modi said this slab rationalisation was likely to be taken up only after the GST collections have reached Rs 1 trillion. Experts claim this might take nine months to a year to reach this target.

This would reduce the number of GST rates to four. Also, the GST rates of items such as refrigerators, washing machines, small television sets, and paint and varnish could go down further after they were cut from 28 per cent to 18 per cent recently.

Except for April, the GST has never yielded revenue of Rs 1 trillion. This was also an aberration since arrears of the previous months were paid. In July, Rs 964.83 billion was collected, against Rs 956.1 billion in June and Rs 940 billion in May.

"Pruning the number of GST rate slabs is definitely a good idea. But I don't foresee that happening in the next nine to 12 months till the tax collections consistently reach the desired Rs 1-trillion-per-month target," said Harpreet Singh, partner at KPMG.

At present, around 49 countries use a single GST rate, 28 use two rates and four countries including India have more rates.

Article Original Source : https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/gst-council-may-re...

Exclusive: Pakistan supporting 600 terrorists to cross LOC, says intelligence report

National

ZEE NEWS

The report submitted to the Home Ministry says that these terrorists are being actively supported by Pakistani forces and personnel from Pakistan Army may also be among them.

New Delhi: An intelligence report accessed by Zee News reveals that there are over 600 terrorists at various launchpads all along the Line of Control who are being readied to cross over to India with nefarious intentions.

The report submitted to the Home Ministry says that these terrorists are being actively supported by Pakistani forces and personnel from Pakistan Army may also be among them. They are believed to be members of Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT) which is known to provide support to terrorist organisations.

This may well be the highest number of terrorists at the ready to infiltrate since India conducted surgical strikes to destroy terror launchpads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). That this development comes at a time when Imran Khan is all set to take oath as Pakistan PM is rather ironical considering that he has backed peace talks with India and resolution to the Kashmir issue. That it is widely suspected that he was actively backed by Pakistan Army during elections though paints a clearer picture because the country's military has nurtured terrorism and has hardly ever given peace a chance - an apparent threat to its relevance in the country.

Little wonder then that the terrorists at the ready along the LoC are being fully supported by Pakistan Army.

The details of the terrorists ready to infiltrate, according to the intelligence report accessed by Zee News, is as follows:

* Gurez Sector: 67 terrorists present in Pakistan's posts at Barbad, Sardari, Losar complex.

* Machil Sector: Movement of 96 terrorists observed.

* Keran Sector: Movement of 117 terrorists observed.

* Tangdhar Sector: Movember of 79 terrorists observed.

* Uri Sector: Movement of 26 terrorists observed.

* Rampur Sector: Movement of 26 terrorists observed.

* Poonch Sector: Movement of 43 terrorists observed.

* Krishna Ghati Sector: Movement of 21 terrorists observed.

* Bhimber Gali: Movement of 40 terrorists observed.

* Nowshera Sector: Movement of 6 terrorists observed.

* Sunderbani Sector: Movement of 16 terrorists observed.

Last week, the Home Ministry had said that security forces have killed 110 terrorists across Jammu and Kashmir till July 22. In 2017, the number was at 213 while in 2016 and 2015, it was 150 and 108 respectively.

Article Original Source : http://zeenews.india.com/india/exclusive-pakistan-supporting-600-terrorists...