Handloom and handicrafts industry again comes up in protest against the GST rate applicable to them. This protest came even after the 23rd GST council meeting reduced the tax rates on handicrafts and handloom down from 28-18 to 12 percent. The artisans have demanded that the industry must be completely out of the GST purview.
All this was demanded in the Craft Council on GST organized for the artisans where they have demanded complete roll out of GST on the Handloom and handicrafts. The president of craft council Kasturi Gupta menon stated that they will take the demands of artisans to the GST council by sending a representative. As learned the GST council has reduced the tax rates on handlooms and handicrafts to 12 percent in its recent 23rd meeting.
An official from the mechanic body told that Khadi is relaxed under GST while the handlooms and handicrafts have been slashed to 12 percent from earlier 18 and 28 percent GST. According to the statistics, there are around 9 crore artisans and hand skill exporters and the official mentioned that due to GST, most of them are affected badly. Even earlier, these artisans were exempted from the VAT and this time also it is necessary to exempt them wholly from the GST.
