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          New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) The much-awaited unified Goods and   Services Tax (GST) is likely to come into effect from April 1, 2013 as the   centre is open to the concerns of the states, Sushil Modi, chairman of empowered   committee of state finance ministers, said Wednesday.
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 "The FM (Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee) is very flexible to accommodate view   of the state governments," Modi, who is also deputy chief minister of Bihar,   told reporters here. 
 A key concern of states is the autonomy to levy   taxes. The states also have problems with the dispute regulation panel.
 
 Modi indicated that the central government was willing to consider the   states demand on the issue of compensation for reduction in central sales tax.
 
 "You require flexibility and now I am finding there is a flexibility in   the attitude of the finance minister and in the state council," he said.
 
 Modi's statement assumes significance as the Bharatiya Janata Party   (BJP) ruled states have so far been opposing the new tax regime.
 
 
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