GST implementation
SHILLONG: The Commissioner of Central Excise and Service Tax, Shillong, Gaigongdin Panmei said that the North Eastern states would require initial handholding after the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Speaking at an outreach programme on GST conducted here on Wednesday, Panmei also expressed concern over the shortage of VAT officers in NE. He noted that while Meghalaya had around 100 VAT officers, Manipur had only 29.
Urging the state governments of NE to put in place all the required mechanisms before the implementation of the GST, Panmei said that there is no grievance redressal system in several of the states. “The issue needs to be addressed before the implementation of GST,” he said. According to Panmei, once implemented, all the central taxes would be subsumed to GST
Deputy Commissioner, Customs (Preventive), IR Kharkongor while giving an overview on GST said that every product has a lot of hidden tax which swell its price. “With GST, single tax will replace multiple taxes and goods will be cheaper,” he said.
He also informed that registration of those who will be paying GST should be completed within three days even as he added that petroleum products and alcohol have been kept out of the ambit of GST.
The outreach programme was also attended by officers of taxation, excise and IT departments besides hoteliers and traders who would be brought under the ambit of GST.
It may be mentioned that GST is a proposed system of indirect taxation merging most of the existing taxes into a single system of taxation.
