GST to hit ‘roti, kapda aur makan’
GST is cumbersome with multitier tax structure. It will hit the livelihood of shopkeepers, traders, micro and small businessmen and farmers, of the country, besides the common man. RANDEEP SINGH SURJEWALA , AICC spokesperson
KARNAL: All India Congress Committee (AICC) spokesperson and Kaithal MLA Randeep Singh Surjewala has accused the NDA government at the Centre of imposing highest-ever taxes under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on the people.
Surjewala, who was addressing a gathering of traders and Congress workers in Panipat on Saturday, said, “The BJP-led government has imposed the highest-ever GST rate in the world, unlike the UPA, which had proposed a cap of 18%”.
“GST is cumbersome with multi-tier tax structure and will hit out at livelihood of shopkeepers, traders, micro and small businesses, farmers and common man of the country,” he added.
Surjewala said GST is a blow to the farmers, textile sector, small and medium businesses and it will also push the inflation. “UPA’s GST was simple and had transparent taxation on goods and services, while this govt’s GST is a complicated maze, requiring 37 returns to be filed by every tax payer per year,” he said.
“Does it make a sense to tax mineral water at 18% and what is the justification for taxing almonds and dry fruits at 12% and cashew nuts at 5%,” he questioned.
He said the textile sector, which is the second biggest job generator after agriculture, is badly hit by the distorted duty structure of GST. “It can wipe out the living of millions of micro, small and medium manufacturers, traders, cloth merchants and shopkeepers.”