New Delhi, Sept. 9 -- Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on September 9 said that the goods and services tax (GST) reform was in the works over the past year, and not in response to United States President Donald Trump's tariffs.

"It was not as if the crisis was on us because of US tariff measures," she said at an NDTV event, adding that she realised in May, that there was a package worthy to present to the prime minister.

Sitharaman further said that the GST reforms were planned with the major income tax announcements were made in the Union Budget last year. "This was in the making for over one and a half years. When the major announcements on income tax happened during the Budget, the PM reminded me about GST reforms," she adde...