State govt begins dialogue with traders on their GST concerns
THEY DEMANDED BRINGING DIESEL AND PETROL UNDER GST, NARROWING DOWN TAX SLABS, DECREASING TAXES WITH REGARD TO SOME GOODS
LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government initiated an open dialogue with traders on Saturday to address their concerns with regard to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) a day after the Centre announced several steps to give relief to businessmen.
The move comes amid widespread criticism of ‘hasty’ rollout of the new tax regime.
Deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma in Lucknow and BJP MPs in their constituencies invited traders’ representatives to tea and snacks in the evening.
Addressing traders at the commercial tax department’s packed conference hall here, Sharma assured them they would not be put to harassment because of any of the GST provisions.
He said the government will document their suggestions and issues and forward the same to the GST Council for necessary action. The traders, among other things, demanded bringing diesel and petrol under GST, narrowing down tax slabs, decreasing taxes with regard to some goods, relaxing penalty provisions and simplifying various forms.
Presenting himself as a trader’s son, Sharma immediately accepted their demand for the raising the traders’ accident insurance cover from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. He asked commercial tax commissioner Mukesh Meshram to send a proposal in this regard to the state government.
Later, talking to reporters, Sharma said the state government welcomed suggestions received from traders. “We will put them to the next GST Council meeting and try that their genuine demands are met,” he said.
Asked if the state government agreed to the traders’ demand for including diesel and petrol in the GST regime, he said the government was neither for nor against the demand.
“It is for the GST Council to take the final call,” he said. Sharma said post-GST revenue from commercial tax in UP had gone up 33% compared to what the state got under the VAT regime. This, he said, proved the state’s traders believed in doing their business honestly if they were given facilities.