JOIN USGovt seeing opportunity in crisis by imposing GST on Covid vaccines, medicines: Congress
The Congress on Wednesday accused the government of seeing an opportunity in crisis by imposing GST on Covid vaccines and medicines and claimed that it has collected over Rs 6,000 crore from such taxes.
Congress spokesperson Gaurav Vallabh also claimed that had the government taken steps at the right time, the second wave of coronavirus would not have struck India and lives of people saved.
He urged the government to stop spreading positivity and image-building and focus on the handling the pandemic and vaccinating all Indians to defeat the virus.
"This is a government of 'opportunity in crisis' as it is finding opportunities by collecting taxes to the tune of Rs 6,000 crore on medicines, vaccines and oxygen concentrators," he said at an online press conference.
"The government should not miss the last bus and should act now. Have a vaccine policy in which all Indians will be vaccinated in the next six months, then only we can defeat coronavirus," he also said.
Vallabh alleged that while people are dying for want to vaccines, oxygen and life-saving drugs, the government is collecting GST of 5 per cent on vaccines, 12 per cent on Remdesivir, other medicines and oxygen concentrators, 18 per cent on sanitisers and 28 per cent on ambulances.
"If GST is removed from these essential items, over Rs 6000 crore relief will be there by exempting items like Remdesivir, oxygen concentrator and vaccine. Is it not justified to exempt them," he said.
The Congress leader said from the same Rs 6,000 crore we can buy 12 lakh oxygen concentrators, or 1.20 lakh new ventilators can be put in hospitals across the country.
With this amount, one can also give vaccine doses to 20 crore people or set up another six AIIMS-like institutes can be set up in the country.
"The handling of the current crisis by the BJP government at the Centre has been nothing short of abysmal. Sheer mismanagement, lax approach, no foresight, no preparedness, misplaced priorities and no empathy are the words you associate with the central government going by the way they have handled this current crisis. They have betrayed the trust bestowed by crores of Indians on them," he alleged.
"Their arrogant, unapologetic attitude is adding on to the plight of crores of Indians every day, we read tragic news of people dying due to lack of oxygen, oxygen concentrators not available and people finding it extremely difficult to source Remdesivir and other key medicines," he further alleged.
He said "sane voices" from around the country including various chief ministers have requested the government to reduce GST rates being levied on key medical items such as vaccines, oxygen concentrators and ventilators.
"The government on the contrary is eyeing an opportunity to make money in the times of crisis. The finance minister has been making frail arguments justifying the current GST rates being levied," he said.
"The Congress party, once again, demands that the central government exempt all Covid-19 related medical items from GST. Taxes are collected to provide benefits to citizens. When the citizens can benefit directly from GST exemption, why not pass the benefits to them directly," he said.