Five years of GST: Chidambaram to Sitharaman, the people behind the reform

The benefits of GST will positively ensure it to be 'Good and Simple Tax' for citizens of India, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the eve of the GST launch

P Chidambaram

The former finance minister had in 2006 proposed April 2010 as the deadline for implementing GST. He also released a white paper on state-level value-added tax

Vijay Kelkar

Former finance secretary Kelkar is widely credited with being the architect of GST. In 2009, a task force he headed had suggested a comprehensive, nationwide GST to deal with the complex indirect tax structure. The task force, constituted by the 13th Finance Commission, had recommended that all goods and services should be taxed at a single rate of 12%, split as 5% for central GST and 7% for state GST