Difficult to accept Congress demand to cap GST rate: Arun Jaitley

NEW DELHI: The government hopes that the biennial elections in the Rajya Sabha will give it enough seats in the upper house of Parliament to pass the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, finance minister Arun Jaitley said on Thursday.

"Numbers are going to significantly change in the Rajya Sabha with the biennial elections. Every political party in Parliament, barring one, has told me it will support GST," Jaitley said, fielding questions at the annual India Today Conclave here.

The GST Bill has been approved by the Lok Sabha and is currently stalled in the upper house, where the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) lacks a majority.

Jaitley said it would be difficult to accept the Congress party's demand to cap GST rate in a constitution amendment bill. Congress wants Jaitley to cap the rate of GST at less than 20 percent.

"Our tariffs are not decided by constitutional caps," the finance minister said, adding that such a move would limit the scope of making future changes.

"Today state governments tell me they are all in favour of GST. Even Karnataka, which has a Congress government, wants the GST," he added.