WTO to review India’s digital tax next month

New Delhi: India may need to field queries on its agricultural and e-commerce policies in the trade policy review at World Trade Organization slated next month.

A senior government official said they are bracing for a slew of questions on the government’s proposed e-commerce policy, digital tax, higher duties on IT products, invoking the peace clause for exceeding the subsidies for rice, and its farm policies regarding pulses, sugar and lentils, at the review of its trade policy next month.

India’s previous trade policy review took place in 2015, and officials said Goods and Services Tax, and changes in Intellectual Property Rights laws too are likely to attract attention at the review, which is a mechanism to scrutinise the trade policies of WTO members.