THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala will approach the GST Council seeking stringent measures to put an end to profiteering by traders in the name of the Goods and Services Tax.
Observing that traders were charging extra under the guise of GST, the Cabinet on Wednesday decided to raise the issue at the GST Council. Traders have been jacking up prices to capitalise on the lack of clarity and absence of an effective software to compute GST. Since a private establishment - Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) - has been tasked with developing software for traders to remit tax, state governments have limitations in intervening in the issue. It’s for the GSTN to address complaints in this regard.
The state will urge the GST council to not impose fine for delay in filing tax returns as the software was not fully functional. The tax rates of certain products will adversely affect economic growth. These issues need to be addressed. Since there are software-related issues, GSTN should assign a technical officer from Infosys to Kerala, the Cabinet noted. The government has also decided to carry out various initiatives at the state-level to address traders’ grievances.
Redressal measures
The system to resolve complaints through district facilitation centres will be strengthened.
Akshaya centres will function as the complaint redressal mechanism for GST donors.
Taxpayers can register complaints at 180 circles of the GST Department. The department will develop a software for taxpayers to file returns.
Cabinet observed three months after the GST came into force, various issues still persist. It also looked into various issues faced by taxpayers and consumers.
Other decisions
Cabinet decides to create 206 posts of Warden category in the Jail Department. Of this 140 will be assistant prison officers, 58 deputy prison officers, six prison officers and two gate keepers.
10th Pay Revision Commission recommendations to be implemented for employees of Science and Technology Council and associated establishments. Failure to stick to finance department norms will lead to no pay revision in future.