GST and Doing Business in India

Sacchidananda Mukherjee, PhD, Associate Professor, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, New Delhi

A version of this article was originally published in Chinese as ‘商品和服务税对在印经商的影响’ [Shangpin he fuwu shui (GST) dui Yin jingshang de yingxiang], Diyi Caijing, 15 May 2015. This is part of a series by Indian scholars in China’s top business affairs news portal facilitated by the ICS. The English version follows below the Chinese text.

在经历漫长的等待之后,印度终将于2017年7月1日起推出商品和服务税(GST),实现统一税制。在四项法案(Central GST、Integrated GST、Union Territory GST、GST Compensation to States)通过印度两院批准后,将会形成GST征税行政框架以及执行规则。

预计GST改革委员会将于2017年5月为各商品指定税率。不同社会经济阶层所需承担的不同税负在很大程度上取决于细致划分下不同税率的商品与服务。目前,委员会已确定了四层税率结构(5%、12%、18%和28%),预计委员会还将公布一份简短的,包含了部分基础商品及服务的豁免清单。而对于低质货物(如烟草制品、汽水)及对环境有害的物质(如煤炭),除了征收最高税率外,还有征收额外的GST补偿税。由补偿税组成的税收收入将用于补偿邦政府在新税制实施头5年面临的税收损失。此外,委员会还明确了针对不同类别商品设定的相应的最高GST补偿税率,如对槟榔、豪车分别征收135%、15%的税,对每吨煤征收400卢比。不过具体到各不同商品的GST补偿税尚未明确。因进项税可抵免GST补偿税,因此不会产生针对补偿税的阶梯税率。 Continue reading “GST and Doing Business in India”

Tibet’s Place in China’s ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative

Tshering Chonzom Bhutia, PhD, Associate Fellow, Institute of Chinese Studies

By now, China’s “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI) is familiar to scholars and officials around the world. It has become the catchphrase for all of China’s international outreach, including conferences, seminars, and delegation visits to and from China. However, China has not completely reassured its neighbors. The various terms and phrases that have been used to refer to this idea embody the contention surrounding it – from the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) and Maritime Silk Route (MSR), to One Belt One Road (OBOR), to the current BRI. More broadly, some describe it as “strategy,” others call it a “project” with the Chinese now settling on “initiative.”

Having played an important role in the whole Silk Route trade route historically, India finds China’s attempt to revive it in the modern context without any consultation with Delhi troubling. Continue reading “Tibet’s Place in China’s ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative”