GST reforms to boost swadeshi, self-reliance: UP CM Adityanath

Gorakhpur (UP), Sep 4 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday welcomed the Centre's GST reform, while terming it a "next-generation tax revolution".

Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for the GST rate cut, he said the move would not only simplify the tax structure but also accelerate India's journey in "Swadeshi" and "aatmanirbharta" (self-reliance).

Hailing the reforms as "a decisive step toward making India a high-growth economy," Adityanath said the two-slab system of 5 per cent and 18 per cent will provide direct relief to the common man.

Essential items like food, medicines and educational material will now attract 0-5 per cent GST, easing household expenditure and boosting purchasing power for lower and middle-income groups. Luxury goods, meanwhile, will face a higher 40 per cent tax.

The chief minister asserted that the reforms would give fresh momentum to agriculture, MSMEs, startups, women entrepreneurs and youth. Faster refunds, simpler compliance and easier registration will ease business operations, while greater transparency in tax administration will strengthen investor confidence.

The chief minister added that the reforms will help control inflation, spur consumption in sectors such as automobiles and construction, and create lakhs of jobs.

Calling it a "historic, transformative decision," he said, "the people of Uttar Pradesh wholeheartedly thank the PM and the Finance Minister for scripting a new chapter in India's tax system." PTI COR KIS MR