End tax terrorism to boost economy: Congress to govt

Ahead of the upcoming Parliament Monsoon session, the Congress on Friday called for drastic reforms in GST, saying it is imperative for the country's current economy, which the party believes needs a "huge booster dose."

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The party's MP and general secretary (communications), Jairam Ramesh, said the economy needs a "huge booster dose."

"That will happen only when drastic reform of GST takes place and the atmosphere of tax terrorism ends," Jairam said.

Without naming any business tycoons, Jairam also said the economy will grow when the fixation on the growth of just one or two big business groups through favouritism is abandoned.

Quoting a recent report by Nuvama Institutional Equities, the Congress leader highlighted several concerns for the country's economy, including: "Key High Frequency Indicators", which he said are slowing or remain subdued.

"These include credit and exports, as well as GST collections," he said. He also said private consumption is not gathering momentum.

"These include real estate, two-wheeler, and four-wheeler sales," he said. Industry is off to a weak start in 2025/26, with a similar trend in electricity and diesel consumption, as well as medium and heavy commercial vehicles, he mentioned, adding that eight core industries are showing poor growth.

He also said agricultural prices, determinants of well-being in rural India, remain weak. Corporates continue to stay cash-flow focused and are now cutting wages and capital expenditure to lift their already high free cash flows, he added.