Ground Scorching Tax

Description

On 1 July 2017, Goods and Services Tax (GST) became a reality. The government hailed it as the biggest tax reform of independent India which would herald a new freedom for the nation and unify it with 'One Nation One Tax'. Some of the claims made by the government were that GST would bring about ease of doing business; increase tax collection; lower inflation; increase GDP growth by 1-2 per cent; and check the black economy. More than a year later, we have more questions than answers. Why did the economy slow down? Is the government likely to collect more taxes? Why have prices continued to rise? Why has Malaysia withdrawn GST? Turns out that problems with GST are both transitional and structural. To correct for these there have been a few hundred notifications and orders from the government which have added to the confusion. In this book, well-known economist Arun Kumar explains the reality behind GST. Known for not pulling any punches, the author explains why GST is a double-edged sword for the common man, why it will increase inequality across sectors and regions, why it will hurt small businesses-everything the government does not want you to know.

Arun Kumar has a Ph.D. in Environmental Ecology and carries with him 8 years of experience in teaching and research in the field of Environmental Science. He has been working in a reputed organisation as a Research Associate since 2003 and has been actively involved in conducting Training Programmes in the field of Disaster Management, particularly water and climate related disasters. He specialises in Forest Fire Disasters and Flood Disaster Management. As an Disaster Management Professional trained in India and abroad, his lectures and presentations on different aspects of Disaster Management are highly appreciated. He has also many research publications on different aspects of Disaster Management and Environmental Ecology in reputed national and international journals to his credit.