By IANS,
New Delhi : Finance Minister of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Abdul Rahim Rather was Monday elected the new chairman of the ministerial panel working on the mechanism for the goods and services tax (GST).
Rather, a senior leader of National Conference, replaces Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Sushil Kumar Modi who resigned last month following his party’s split with almost two-decade-old ally Janata Dal (United) in Bihar.
The Empowered Group of State Finance Ministers elected Rather as its new chief at a meeting here.
Rather was elected unopposed after Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who also holds the finance minister portfolio, proposed his name.
Rather now faces a formidable task of building consensus for the implementation of the goods and services tax (GST) that has missed several deadlines.
GST is the most ambitious indirect tax reform. It seeks to replace all indirect taxes like excise, service tax and local levies, with a single and uniform tax across the country.