-The Hindu It has long been argued that government spending on health should increase to 2.5 per cent of GDP. National Health Accounts (NHA) monitors the flow of resources in a country’s health system and provides detailed data on health finances. The NHA estimates for India for the financial year 2013-14 were published earlier this week, after a long void of almost a decade. The previous estimates were for the year 2004-05. In...
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50% of states expected to approve GST by early September -Sidhartha & Surojit Gupta
-The Times of India NEW DELHI: With half the state legislatures expected to ratify the Constitution amendment bill to roll out goods and services tax (GST) by early September, the Centre is now moving to the next stage — deciding on the contentious issue of fixing the rates — so that the ambitious reform initiative is in place by April. Sources said the finance ministry is set to hold consultations on the...
More »GST: Tax rate likely to be higher than 18%
-The Hindu The decision will be taken by GST Council, comprising Union and State Finance Ministers: Adhia. A day after the Bill to amend the Constitution was approved by the Rajya Sabha, paving the way for the Goods and Services tax (GST), the Centre seemed to concede that the rate at which the new indirect tax will be levied on most goods is likely to be higher than 18 per cent. While the...
More »Goods and Services Tax (GST), explained
-The Indian Express The Goods and Services Tax (GST), the biggest reform in India’s indirect tax structure since the economy began to be opened up 25 years ago, at last looks set to become reality. The Constitution (122nd) Amendment Bill comes up in Rajya Sabha today, on the back of a broad political consensus and boosted by the ‘good wishes’ of the Congress, which holds the crucial cards on its passage....
More »State action vital to end social exclusion, says new report
Although public goods are meant for everyone to enable living life with human dignity, certain groups are systematically deprived to access them, says a new report from the Centre for Equity Studies -- a NGO based in Delhi. Put differently, not all sections of the society are able to access or enjoy public goods and services on an equal footing, despite social justice being one of the key provisions of...
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