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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Indian parliament backs key tax bill | Indian parliament backs key tax bill |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| India's parliament has passed the much-awaited Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill. | India's parliament has passed the much-awaited Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill. |
| The bill aims to streamline India's fragmented tax system with a single levy. | The bill aims to streamline India's fragmented tax system with a single levy. |
| Indian businesses have been lobbying for the single tax rate as it would reduce costs, particularly for shipping goods across state borders. | Indian businesses have been lobbying for the single tax rate as it would reduce costs, particularly for shipping goods across state borders. |
| Analysts say the move could boost India's economic growth by up to 2 percentage points. | Analysts say the move could boost India's economic growth by up to 2 percentage points. |
| The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian parliament, last year, but it had been stuck in the upper house of parliament, or the Rajya Sabha, where PM Narendra Modi's BJP does not have a majority. | The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian parliament, last year, but it had been stuck in the upper house of parliament, or the Rajya Sabha, where PM Narendra Modi's BJP does not have a majority. |
| The opposition Congress party, which originally proposed the GST while in power, had opposed the bill but backed it after managing to secure some concessions from the ruling government. | The opposition Congress party, which originally proposed the GST while in power, had opposed the bill but backed it after managing to secure some concessions from the ruling government. |
| The tax reform, the biggest since India's independence from Britain in 1947, seeks to replace a slew of federal taxes and levies in 29 states. | The tax reform, the biggest since India's independence from Britain in 1947, seeks to replace a slew of federal taxes and levies in 29 states. |
| Indian states will have to pass further laws to determine the rate and scope of the tax. | Indian states will have to pass further laws to determine the rate and scope of the tax. |
| A truly single market? by Soutik Biswas, BBC News, Delhi | A truly single market? by Soutik Biswas, BBC News, Delhi |
| Many believe the landmark tax is a key step towards making India's $2tn (£1.5tn) economy with 1.3 billion consumers a truly single market. | Many believe the landmark tax is a key step towards making India's $2tn (£1.5tn) economy with 1.3 billion consumers a truly single market. |
| It subsumes India's messy plethora of indirect taxes, duties and surcharges into a single tax. | It subsumes India's messy plethora of indirect taxes, duties and surcharges into a single tax. |
| What promises to be one of the world's most complex tax reforms is expected to be serviced by state-of-the-art technology. | What promises to be one of the world's most complex tax reforms is expected to be serviced by state-of-the-art technology. |
| Indian software giant Infosys is building a gigantic electronic infrastructure - a GST portal - where taxpayers can register, make payments and file returns. | Indian software giant Infosys is building a gigantic electronic infrastructure - a GST portal - where taxpayers can register, make payments and file returns. |
| Some 7.5 million businesses will be covered by the tax. | Some 7.5 million businesses will be covered by the tax. |
| Clearly, a successful GST in India will be a minor miracle. | Clearly, a successful GST in India will be a minor miracle. |
| Read more from Soutik | Read more from Soutik |