The introduction of a unified goods and services tax (GST) bill across the nation is set to be branded as “cooperative federalism” with impressive marketing slogans like “One nation and one tax”. Both political parties and corporates have spoken up and expressed their will for this bill. The question is who is speaking for the common man?
Before we speak on merits and demerits of unified goods and services tax (GST) bill across the nation, let us understand common man’s muted nerve that can only be felt, if we are on the ground.
1. Water is becoming a scarce resource today: Today, common man in urban areas is purchasing drinking water. What is government’s roadmap to provide safe and drinking water to the common man with the tax collected? How can we measure Government’s progress?
2. Pharmacy is infected with corporate revenue makers: It is difficult today to experience hospitals and doctors with service mindset. Common man's illness is becoming corporate’s opportunity to boost their revenues. How can we get a doctor with service mindset.
3. Education: Corporates today understood how to exploit India’s stringent and slow responding education system. Corporate Institutions are dividing students into "Rank student pool (around 5%)" and "Money student pool from whose parents money can be mint (around 95%)". It is applying lot of stress to the common class to educate their children under right teachers/ institutions.
4. Housing: Housing is yet another premium affair to the common man. Middle-middle class with annual income of around 20 lakhs is struggling good portion of their life's earning to pay back the loan taken on their apartment (forget individual house). In uncertain job scenarios, it is applying lot of stress to the middle class. If this is the state of affairs with middle class, what about the state of affairs with poor?
5. Under names of various schemes, political parties are diverting public funds to help their party workers ignoring the common man’s needs (For example, housing schemes implemented in some scenarios are helping majority of ruling party supporters. Thus, public funds are used to improve political party’s vote share). Can we take any legislation to prevent such misuse of funds?
6. Governments are giving lot of media hype when they plan their budget. But public is never given brief on last year’s budget performance. There are reports that Governments are not spending allotted share of funds for the respective portfolios. How can we measure accountability here?
Today, Union Government is marketing heavily unified goods and services tax (GST) bill across the nation. Whether GST legislation or existing tax legislation, Governments must address common’s man basic needs through clear accountability framework.
Common Man today needs transparency and accountability on use of public funds collected under various heads of taxes. Common class needs legislation on Government's accountability for the tax collected from public.
When GST is set to poise anywhere nearer 18% to 26% (regressive tax), common class is crossing their fingers thinking "Who is speaking for the common man".
Without complementing accountability framework, every tax framework will only prove Government's innate intention to pool up more and more money, from it's ardent tax payers, under various marketing names.
Last but not least, what about Government's approach to deal with non tax payers... Who listens to common class's muted nerve?
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