JAMMU, May 31:In an urgent meeting convened at Chamber House to discuss the financial budget presented by the state government, the Chamber feels totally disappointed from the traders point of view as the main demands of the trading community were Rationalization of Taxes as compared pan India, Amnesty on recoveries of Taxes and simplification of tax system to discourage inspector raj and corruption have not met justice. In simple terms the Chamber President Sh. Rakesh Gupta feels that we are not living in a “DEMOCRACY” but in a ‘DICTORIAL DEMOCRACY” in the state of Jammu & Kashmir and the state government is to be blamed for this especially the Finance department. The Chamber hails the extension on exemptions to the Industrial sector but at the same time feels dejected that there is no comprehensive industrial policy that will help the existing industry and in absence of which no new industries will come up. The Chamber welcomes the decision to reserve land for woman entrepreneurs in industrial estates but we ask the state government .”Where is the land bank” .The Chamber feels that pre budget meetings were just an eye wash and the people in financial department have rushed to just fulfill the formality of presenting budget without sensing what impact on the trade and the common man this increase of VAT and Toll means.
The Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry declares this state budget as ANTI TRADE & ANTI POOR. We demand complete roll back of increase in VAT as the trade can’t survive with highest ever taxes being imposed as compared with rest of India. Also, the increase in State Toll Tax which we already term illegal will make all commodities costlier. The Chamber has convened a meeting of all business association tomorrow and has no option left but to call for a complete bandh which may lead to indefinite bandh starting from Saturday June 4 if the State Government does not roll back the increase in VAT and TOLL.
The Chamber questions the Government of Jammu & Kashmir that with what face they have been approaching the Union Government for reduction in Air Fares when they themselves have increased the Vat on Aviation Fuel. The steep illogical increase in VAT from products under 5 % to 14.5% will make most of the common mans needs go out of their budget and the finance department should know that the main manufacturers across India cannot change their MRP’s just for the state of J&K as their MRP is the same pan India. On one hand GST will be in place any moment and on the other hand the Finance department in JK state has done all this to give boost to illegal trade so that they can earn more through corruption. “The Chamber of Commerce and Industry demands complete roll back of increase of VAT of zero to 5% and 5% to 14.5% and also complete roll back on increase of toll before Saturday i.e. June 4 and the complete budget to be presented again” or the government should be ready to face the wrath of the poor people of the devastated state of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry feel that the government has forgotten the vision of Late Jenab Mufti Mohamad Sayeed sahib and gone totally against his “HEALING TOUCH POLICY”. On one hand the department of commercial taxes harasses the traders for issuing VAT-51 invoices and on the other hand is a mute spectator to this practice being adopted by outsider big chains like BEST PRICE for apparent reason best know to them. ON one hand most of the political parties advocate Article 370 and on the other hand is increasing the taxes just to help the outsiders in ONLINE BUSINESS.
The other office bearers present in the meeting include Sh. Sham Lal Langer, Sr. Vice President, Sh. Deepak Aggarwal, Jr. Vice President, Sh. Arun Gupta, Secretary General, Sh. Rahul Mahajan, Secretary and Sh. Ashu Gupta, Treasurer.
|