8 Years of GST: Big Reform Praised By Many, But Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen Says India Has Most Paperwork Globally
Mumbai: It’s been eight years since the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was launched in India. Many call it a historic reform that helped simplify taxes and made India a more unified market. Small and medium businesses, in particular, have benefited from reduced compliance and better ease of doing business.
Even the Prime Minister recently wrote that GST has made states equal partners in India’s economic growth and has driven strong tax collection and transparency.
Flexport CEO Raises Concerns
However, not everyone agrees. Ryan Petersen, the Founder and CEO of Flexport, responded to the PM’s post on X (formerly Twitter), saying:
“I have to file more useless paperwork for our entity in India than all our other countries combined.”
This comment sparked a huge debate online.
Mixed Reactions from Users
Some users supported Petersen, saying they too feel India has a paperwork obsession and too many rules. One user even joked:
“Dear sir, what do you prefer? IT raid or ED raid? Respecting businessman’s choices is part of Modiji’s Ease of Doing Business mission.”
Others defended GST, saying:
“What paperwork? Millions of Indian businesses are happy with GST.”
Another user added:
“India is now a tax-compliant society. GST has made life easier.”
A Divide in Opinions
While some citizens agree that paperwork is still a problem, others strongly feel that GST has changed India’s business environment for the better.
A user wrote:
“Companies help the country grow. If there are no businesses, what will the government do?”
The debate shows that even though GST has helped many businesses, some still feel stuck in long forms and red tape.
The government may need to take this feedback seriously to make India’s business climate even better.
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