Constitutional amendment bill on GST by the year end: Nirmala Sitharaman

BANGALORE: Union minister of state for commerce and industry Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said that the Centre was close to resolving the long pending issue on Goods and Services Tax (GST).
“The finance minister (Arun Jaitley) has held several meetings with the chief minister and state finance ministers. It is likely that a constitutional amendment would be introduced by the end of the year. The issues raised by the states about compensation have been addressed.We are very close on solving the GST,” she said after visiting the BJP office here.
Some states including Karnataka had raised issues on GST compensation, besides indirect levies such as excise, service and local taxes. The revenue loss to states due to implementation of GST should be compensated by the centre, Karnataka has demanded.
Jaitley has also promised to examine issues over compensation to states for implementing the GST. Jammu and Kashmir finance minister and Empowered Committee chairman on GST Abdul Rahim Rather had said that all states are on board and only some concerns need to be addressed by the Centre. “Every state wants GST to be implemented. Only they want their concerns are addressed,” Rather had said after meeting with state finance ministers recently.