Discussion with Finance Minister Drabu today, all-party meet tomorrow
Top businessmen and hoteliers of the Kashmir valley today opposed the extension of the goods and services tax (GST) to J&K during a meeting with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
A delegation that included Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) president Mushtaq Ahmad Wani, J&K Hoteliers Club (JKHC) chairman Mushtaq Chaya and Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) chairman Mohammad Yaseen Khan unanimously opposed the implementation of the GST, saying it would erode the financial autonomy of J&K.
“We all opposed the GST implementation as we feel it will erode the financial autonomy of the state. Right now rates like the service tax are fixed by the state legislature but we will surrender these powers once the GST gets implemented. We categorically told the CM that there should be no impact on Article 370,” Wani told Kashmir Post after the meeting.
Besides the business community, the GST implementation is facing hostility from the National Conference even as the government has already called for an all-party meeting on June 13 and a special Assembly session on June 17 to discuss the extension of the 101st Amendment to the Constitution to J&K before the GST Bill is passed. Wani said they also pointed out to the CM that the commercial taxes department was already asking them to register for the GST. “How can the government seek registration under a law that does not exist as of now? The CM has given the assurance that she would look into the matter,” he said.
Mushtaq Chaya said all traders and hoteliers’ bodies were unanimous in their views even as they were scheduled to meet Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu tomorrow to discuss the GST. The delegation stated that the CM promised them that the new law would not impact the special status of the state.
Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir president Mohammad Ashraf Mir, Kashmir Hotels and Restaurant Association president Abdul Majeed and Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Owners Federation president Javed Burza also were a part of the delegation that met the CM.
The PDP-BJP coalition has decided to convene an all-party meeting at Srinagar on Tuesday to evolve consensus before tabling the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill on the floor of the Legislative Assembly. “The all-party meeting will be held at 3 pm on Tuesday to hold discussions on the proposed GST Bill,” said Independent MLA from Udhampur Pawan Gupta, former MoS Finance. He, however, regretted that instead of putting the proposed bill in public domain, the PDP-BJP coalition government was trying to pass the same in a haste manner. “The way BJP has succumbed before its coalition partner PDP is an indication that the party leadership is ready to compromise with its ideology for power,” he said.
