Goa  became the 15th state to ratify the goods and services tax (GST) constitutional amendment bill passed by Parliament. This means the bill is one short of the 16 states that need to ratify it before it can be sent for presidential assent. The 40-member legislative assembly passed the 122nd constitutional amendment bill by voice vote, an official at the Goa secretariat said.

In the process, Goa became the seventh Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled state to ratify the bill.

• Addressing the legislative assembly, Goa chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar said GST will benefit Goa as it is largely a consumer state driven by revenues from tourism and the services sector. “Goa stands to benefit from GST introduction as it is a tourism-driven and consuming state. GST will also help the state improve its manufacturing sector as the devolution from the centre will be invested in building the necessary infrastructure,”

• The Constitution (122nd Amendment) (Goods and Services Tax) Bill was passed by the Parliamenton August 8, marking a historic step for tax reforms which Prime Minister NarendraModisaid was ‘crucial’ for ending tax Terrorismbesides reducing corruption and black money while making the consumer ‘king’.

The government has set a deadline of April 2017 for the GST rollout.