Friday, March 25 2005 10:23 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last night (Mar 24, 2005) expressed concern over "weakening" political consensus on issues like Value Added Tax (VAT) and called for introspection over "talking in different voices to suit the occasion".

In his address to the corporate leaders and media on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the financial daily Business Standard, Singh said the political consensus that has been the bedrock of the reform process since 1991 has been implicit rather than explicit.

He said many of the major issues of reform such as FDI ceilings; tax and tariff cuts have been the subject of discreet consensus, which is rarely stated in public, though displayed in the policy execution.

"However, I have lately been concerned about this implicit consensus in practice," he said and cited the example of VAT.

"An empowered committee of State Finance Ministers, which included many major political parties, worked painstakingly to provide the blue print and a road map," he said adding, "Almost all State Governments and even the major political formations-across the spectrum-were on board."

"Yet today, it is saddening to see this political consensus weakening. We need to introspect and see if we are not placing ourselves in the unenviable position of talking in different voices to suit the occasion," he said.