Increasing taxes on daily use items always evokes concerns from the people and there is nothing new in people raising concerns over the imposition of GST on daily use items. It hardly matters whether Central Government takes state and UT Governments on board in decision on imposing GST on daily use items or not but what matters is the concern of the people over imposition of GST on the prices of daily use items. Increasing prices of daily use items amid reducing spending capacity of people in purchasing household commodities, bearing the hike in fares for transport services, paying the tuition fee for school children, inability to bear the rising costs of healthcare facilities in government and private hospitals and the likes. Nothing is as debatable as is the imposition of GST on goods and services of common use keeping in view the fact that paying capacity of the people in an indicator of their accessibility to essential commodities. As prices of daily use items in the wholesale markets have been rising much faster than in the retail markets across the country since March last year, experts were already predicting further rise in the prices of daily use items in retail markets anytime this year.
Before the hunger devastates people of low income groups particularly those living below the poverty line an early call on withdrawal of GST from the Government remains the only hope for the people. Imposition of taxes on daily use items in a country where the public concerns are growing over the plight of people living below the poverty line deserves an immediate attention and intervention of the Government.
In a situation where availability, access and nutrition are the major areas of concern for the people, there is no short cut to withdrawal of GST on daily use times which in the given situation is the only viable way to maintain prices of essential commodities in the retail market for purpose of giving common consumer little of respite. Already reeling under the increasing stress of job and income losses triggered by lockdowns during high intensity pandemic periods in last three consecutive years of pandemic, the people struggling against the unprecedented rise in prices of daily use items triggered by the unprecedented rise in fuel prices and slow down in the restoration of business operations since March this year can’t afford further rise in the prices of daily use items. Further increase in the prices of daily use items will as such force people to cut back on the priorities even in other basic human needs like health and education of children and as such people of low income groups particularly those living below the poverty line after giving up their routine spending habits by reducing their monthly family budgets may find themselves in a situation of helplessness. Before the hunger devastates people of low income groups particularly those living below the poverty line an early call on withdrawal of GST from the Government remains the only hope for the people. Imposition of taxes on daily use items in a country where the public concerns are growing over the plight of people living below the poverty line deserves an immediate attention and intervention of the Government.
