CHANDIGARH: Utter confusion prevailed on the first day of Goods and Services Tax (GST) implementation as on one hand, restaurants and big grocery shops issued bills with GST while medicine and mobile shops did their business at old rates.
R S Sachdeva, chairman, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Punjab) said, “At least for ten days there would be confusion in the market. Production has stopped in many industrial units and thus labourers have been without work. Traders are unsure about what rate to sell and buy. In many cases bill books are yet to be published and systems upgraded.’’
The chemist shops sold medicines at old rates without issuing bills. K J Singh, a customer at a medicine shop said, “The chemist sold me medicines at 10 per cent discount on the MRP as earlier. When I asked him about GST, he replied that he was not clear about the mechanism. Regarding receipts, he said that he was yet to install a computer at his shop.’’
Dipinpreet Singh who was travelling with his family from Delhi to Chandigarh and had stopped in Murthal to have his lunch said, “ I paid the bill with a GST 9 per cent for state and 9 per cent for central government thus a total of 18 per cent.’’
The shops selling mobile phones and their accessories did brisk business on Saturday as there was no clarity on the pricing of the phones.
“The mobile companies have not given us the new price structure and no billing has been done by them in GST, so whatever we sold on Saturday was as per the old prices,’’ said Vivek Nijhawan a mobile dealer.
Although shops selling paint and hardware material had hardly any customers, few customers who came, asked for the bill but sellers were unclear about how much tax to charge. Companies by Saturday evening intimated us about the tax to be levied on some of the items.
It would take at least two weeks before things fall into place,’’ said Manish Bansal a hardware and paint dealer.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Punjab would be organizing an interaction of small traders and shopkeepers on GST at Moga on July 3.
Its state president Jagmeet Brar would address problems faced by small traders and shopkeepers after the implementation of the GST.