India Parliament to vote on new sales tax

New Delhi

INDIA'S Upper House of Parliament kicked off a debate on a major tax reform on Wednesday that lawmakers were expected to back in a vote later on, as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley faced a call from the opposition not to overtax businesses and consumers.

The proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) has been held up for years by political in-fighting, and its passage would mark a victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he eyes an economic boost for Asia's third-largest economy. "GST is one of the most significant tax reforms in the history of India," Mr Jaitley told lawmakers.