Food Grains Merchants Demand a Solution for Grievances Concerning GST from the Centre

By requesting the Centre to redress the grievances concerning Goods and Services Tax (GST), the Tamil Nadu Food Grains Merchants Association has written to the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

The president of the association S. V. S. S. Velshankar, said that when GST was incorporated, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had expressed that when GST revenue arrives at one lakh crore, tax reductions and tax reliefs will be informed. Now the revenue has surpassed 1.75 lakh crores.

Tax evasion is more because of the non-regularisation of tax on various products. Honest assesses are impacted through the same and many have left their traditional business. A heavy revenue loss to the government has emerged due to this.

The association suggested that a committee be formed, consisting of ministers and officials, to address GST grievances. It was mentioned that stakeholders’ representatives are willing to appear in person to submit and discuss their demands.

Additionally, the association recommended that Tamil Nadu ministers and officials should be included in this committee.

Ever since the implementation of GST on July 1, 2017, there has been confusion and lack of clarity around the tax rates for various products and services.

As a result, stakeholders have found themselves in a position where they are paying taxes and penalties with interest.

Read Also: Easy to Understand 21 Offences, Penalties and Appeals Under GST

In light of this, stakeholders are requesting relief from taxes and penalties for the past five years.

The association wrote to the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, expressing that though plastic ban regulation is executed with a long-term view, the regulation must be enforced step by step till an alternative packaging material is available for packing food items.