I am still unable to understand GST, won't speak about it: Madhya Pradesh Food Minister Om Prakash Dhurve

Amid Opposition parties targeting government over the Goods and Service Tax (GST), Madhya Pradesh Food and Civil Supplies minister has said that he has still not understood the new tax regime.

The minister made the remark during a discussion on note-ban and GST on Wednesday, ahead of the crucial meeting of the GST Council slated to be held on Friday.

"I am still unable to understand the GST... therefore, I won't speak anything on this topic. Chartered Accountants, Businessmen are not understanding GST (GST mai khud hi nahi samajh paa raha hoon, to iss sambandh mein nahi bolunga. Bade bade CA nahin samajh paa rahe hain, vyapari nahin samajh paa rahe hain), said Om Prakash Dhurve.

#WATCH: Madhya Pradesh Minister Om Prakash Dhurve says he has not been able to understand #GST yet (November 8th) pic.twitter.com/qRI8ciYZpQ

— ANI (@ANI) November 10, 2017

The minister also said that he will be satisfied and feel better when he will understand it slowly.

Meanwhile, the GST Council meeting, chaired by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, is likely to witness deliberations on a number of topics, including extended liberalization given to small traders, rate cuts on A/C restaurants from 18% to 12%, and the issue of benami properties.

With the 23rd meeting of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on the cards, exporters, small traders and those in the restaurant business are hoping for a much-needed relief to come their way.

Punjab, Karnataka and Puducherry, where the Congress is in power, jointly voiced their reservations over glitches with the GST tax-filing network, demanding that real estate and petroleum products be brought under the new regime and the tax rate be kept at no more than 18%.

In the run-up to the assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, the opposition party and its leaders have been targeting the government over difficulties faced by some businesses under the GST regime, with party vice-president Rahul Gandhi even calling it a "Gabbar-Singh Tax (GST)".