‘Commercial Tax Department will act as Tax advisory department'
Srinagar, Jul 21: Though the political and constitutional issues of GST have been settled as of now, the operational issues have rendered the businessmen angry.
Finance Minister, Dr Haseeb Drabu, acknowledged the problems faced by businessmen in migration to the new tax regime and set operational targets for remedying these and achieve cent percent GST implementation.
Finance Minister told that the policies like GST are disturbing and businesses are facing multiple problems like lack of awareness, lack of training of tax officials, occasional Internet ban, etc.
He said that such policies require some working time and in that transition the officials, businesses and people will become familiar with the system.
“Already 70 percent businesses have registered with the new tax system and the registration of the rest will speed up,” he told KNS.
Zubair Ahmad Rather, a wholesale garment trader, seems frustrated as he can't buy the garments from Delhi for his shop as under GST he has to migrate his business to the new tax system.
As he approached the local traders for understanding GST, they did not know. When he went to the tax officials at the commercial tax department, they grinned and replied they themselves don't know new tax system.
Zubair claimed that some tax official asked for Rs. 5000 for immediate registration, contradicting the government which said that GST is going to enhance productivity and end corruption. Moreover, the GST portal is not working properly and Internet is more often in curfew mode.
Drabu said: “We are completely liberal on this front. We can see the problems that people and businesses face. I have directed the Divisional Commissioners for starting awareness camps in every district and rolling out training programmes of the tax officials.”
The Finance minister said the Commercial Tax department will be converted into tax advisory department that will help the businesses and public in resolving their queries and will further ease the GST implementation. (KNS)
