By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The GST Council has agreed to hold its tax reforms meeting on the first Saturday of every month instead of a Sunday.
The decision comes after Meghalaya persuaded the council to change the day as Sunday would be inconvenient for the Christian-dominated state.
“Every time the GST council meeting is fixed on a Sunday, subsequently after GST was launched on Sunday, the council meeting was proposed on the first Sunday of every month,” said Taxation Minister Zenith Sangma.
However, Meghalaya expressed its resentment. “I had objected to it since Meghalaya is a Christian state and some other states like Mizoram and Nagaland are Christian-dominated and that should be respected. The secular fabric should be maintained and I have raised objection on holding it on Sunday and ultimately it was agreed that the meeting will be held on first Saturdays,” Zenith, who joined other Congress leaders in Delhi to protest against the “breach of protocol” by the NDA Government on Friday midnight, said. The Goods and Services Tax regime started from 12 am on July 1.
The minister said the party collectively decided to skip the launch function since the President was invited but it was the Prime Minister who launched GST. “This is not only a breach of protocol but an insult to the nation,” he added.
Zenith commented that there was no need to hold such a celebration for the GST launch when many important programmes in the past were launched without much fanfare. “It is not proper to celebrate when farmers are suffering and many traders are protesting,” the minister said.
In Shillong, the GST Commissionerate observed the first GST Day on Saturday. The Central Processing Centre for the entire North East is based in Shillong.
GST Commissioner Bandhana Deori said for the first few days, the taxation system may not be smooth and challenges with internet connectivity and registration might be there, but in due course of time, GST will function seamlessly.
“The State, the Centre and other stakeholders should work together in co-ordination to make the new tax regime a fruitful one,” she added.
The over 250 officials in the two divisions and 16 range offices in Meghalaya had undergone rigorous training before GST was implemented. Awareness and training sessions for businessmen and common people will also be conducted.
Minor forest product
In the last meeting of the GST Council, Meghalaya had raised the issue of exempting minor forest product from the purview of GST.
Talking after the final GST meeting in Parliament on Saturday, Zenith said, “I had raised some issues relevant to the North East and one is minor forest produce like broomstick and bamboo. I demanded that these products be exempted from GST.”
“I had also mentioned about tax-free handloom products as these provide opportunity for women to generate income. If tax is levied on it this will directly affect the women of the North East,” the minister said.
The other item that Zenith mentioned was CGI sheet for the benefit of the poor.