The Hindu : Other States / Rajasthan News : Country not yet ready for VAT, says BJP leader

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Thursday, Mar 31, 2005

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Country not yet ready for VAT, says BJP leader

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR, MARCH 30. Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader, Kalraj Misra, today said the party would stand by trade bodies which are agitating against the introduction of VAT (value added tax) from April 1. "Our opinion is that the country is not yet ready for such a tax structure. The business people, especially the small traders will suffer under VAT regime,'' Mr. Misra said.

The BJP leader, who is also in-charge of the party affairs in Rajasthan, told mediapersons here today that VAT might have done well in developed nations. "In a developing country like India it is premature to introduce VAT,'' Mr. Misra said. The party only had instructed the States under BJP rule not to follow the VAT regime. "I congratulate Mulayam Singh, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for not implementing VAT,'' he said.

Mr. Misra who expressed concern over the recent amendments in Patent Act, said that medicines would become unaffordable for the common man in the country hereafter. "India used to be a country where medicines were the cheapest. Now the prices of all medicines, including those used for treatment of cancer and HIV patients would skyrocket,'' he said.

The BJP leader alleged pressure from the World Trade Organisation on India in passing the Third Patents(Amendment) Bill in Parliament recently. "The Left parties claim that they could get eight out of the 10 changes suggested by them, incorporated. However, I feel that the changes are only in the wording. The effect remains the same,'' he observed.

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