GST collections cross ₹55 lakh crore, relief only ₹2.5 lakh crore: YS Sharmila

Andhra Pradesh Congress president Y.S. Sharmila on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the Union government over the Goods and Services Tax (GST), alleging that the tax regime has placed a massive burden on the public while offering only “cosmetic” reforms in the name of relief.

Sharmila claimed that in the eight years since GST was implemented, the Centre has collected nearly ₹55.44 lakh crore in revenues, while the recent GST 2.0 reforms have offered reductions worth only ₹2.5 lakh crore. She described the reforms as “a band-aid on deep economic wounds” and accused the BJP government of resorting to what she called “band-aid politics” to cover up the hardships faced by ordinary citizens.

“People have been taxed heavily for years, and now the government is trying to portray minor adjustments as the dawn of a new era. These reforms are too little and too late,” she said, adding that citizens will not forget the financial strain caused by the tax system.

The Congress leader further alleged that the government was using slogans like “self-reliance” and “new India” to divert attention from the economic distress caused by GST. She argued that small traders, middle-class families, and common consumers have borne the brunt of the policy, and that recent rate cuts are insufficient to offset the cumulative burden.

Sharmila’s remarks echo the wider criticism from opposition parties, who have accused the Centre of implementing GST in a manner that hurt small businesses and increased consumer costs. The government, however, has defended GST as a landmark reform that simplified India’s tax system, curbed tax evasion, and created a unified national market.

With the opposition sharpening its attack, the political debate over GST and its long-term economic impact is likely to intensify ahead of upcoming state elections.