New Delhi: Hours before the Goods & Service Tax (GST) rollout Friday, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Chief Asaduddin Owaisi joined the leaders who are opposing what the government has termed the biggest tax reform since independence, cast doubt over its smooth implementation and said poor planning will lead to chaos.
"Government is rushing and doing it. I see that there will be chaos...when demonetisation happened, it led to chaos because no proper planning was done. Now also, the government is rushing and pushing and this will lead to chaos," he told PTI.
Owaisi also said that economic and tax experts had expressed "lot of concerns" vis-a-vis the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Echoing similar concerns, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) might end up in a "huge mess" if concerns over the new tax regime were not resolved in time.
"Traders are scared. People are worried," he said.
Sisodia, who also holds the finance portfolio, described the GST as a "great idea", but slammed the Centre over the way it was being implemented.
Speaking at the India Today Midnight Conclave-Tryst with Tax on Friday, he said that the central government should have made better preparations for implementing the unified tax measure.
"Special GST software has been tested. It is not foolproof, but they (the Centre) are going ahead with the launch. I do not understand the need for such haste. The GST is a great idea, but its implementation is not," he said.
The statement by Owaisi and Sisodia came a day after the Congress and other opposition parties decided to boycott the GST launch ceremony to be held June 30 midnight.
The union government has convened a special session of Parliament tonight for the launch.
Meanwhile, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that despite the Opposition boycotting the Special Session of Parliament tonight for launch of the GST, the 'celebration' will go on.
Responding to the question of Congress-led Opposition's boycott, Jaitley said, "Karvan toh chalta rahega (Caravan will keep moving). Those who won't take part would not stop it even if they take part (in the session)."
Accusing the Congress of adopting a narrow attitude, Arun Jaitley said, "Such narrow attitude will not stop the nation," said Jaitley.
"Congress had the opportunity to rise above politics”, he added.
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