As July 1, the day of reckoning, is fast approaching, news that the GST interface is not fully geared to make the implementation process simple and easier is shocking (June 7). It is unbelievable that a country which is home to some of the best software professionals is lagging behind in building a foolproof system for its own needs. Rolling out the GST without getting the basics right will spell disaster for the economy in general and the common man in particular. The common man has yet to understand fully the implications and the extent of the GST. The attitude of the government seems to be that of crossing the bridge when it gets to it. Instead of taking everyone by surprise, the endeavour of the government should be to make the GST discernible. A panel comprising economists, bureaucrats, lawmakers and representatives from the chambers of commerce should be set up to iron out all issues. Perhaps the GST can be deferred by a few months, say to January 1, and aligned with the new financial year.
Subramanian Venkatraman,
Chennai
There appears to be unnecessary alarm. There is a parallel in the form of the core banking solution. When CBS was introduced in banks, the switchover to this system was a gargantuan task. However, the transition was fast. Bank staff had to be trained to become fully conversant with this new system and then educate the public to adapt them to this set-up. Many worked on this after business hours, often well past midnight without any remunerative benefits, and accomplished the task.
N. Visveswaran,
Chennai
