[ad_1]
On July 7, the government issued a notification placing GSTN under the authority of the PMLA to facilitate the exchange of information between GSTN, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and other investigative agencies. The changes to the provisions were made under Section 66 of the PMLA, which requires disclosure of information.
Asking about the intent behind the move less than a year before the Lok Sabha polls, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said: “Is this a way of scoring political results or a way of cracking down on the core funders of opposition parties? Why was such a big change introduced without legislative oversight and sanctions? What is the rush to shred… why was this not discussed before hastily seeking to subdue GSTN and sensitive rolling information into the hands of the Managing Editor…”
“The listing could lead to the country’s Financial Crimes Agency investigating small businesses for GST violations, breaking the bone of the economy,” Singh emphasized. Describing the move as a “way of promoting tax terrorism,” Singhvi said, “A large proportion of marginal traders do not pay GST, and most of them are coercive. Bringing a large section of businessmen under the lens of emergency department with direct arrest powers is a way of practicing tax terrorism.” and promote it.”
He claimed that the covert nature of the move showed that the government was aware that such a move would face a public backlash.
[ad_2]
