BENGALURU: Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who represents Karnataka in the GST (Goods and Services Tax) Council, said they were slowly bringing in several reforms into GST compliance and ensuring hand-holding of traders. Speaking at an interactive session with members of the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), Bommai said they were confident of overcoming all difficulties. “Probably, in the next two years, lots of reforms will come,” he said.
Bommai said GST compliance in Karnataka was good and ease of compliance would further help to increase contribution. “We have to do it. There are some complex things. We have to work it out in such a way to ensure ease of compliance,” he said and added that there was a need to bring more efficiency in tax administration.
“Karnataka is a contributor state and contributing states should not be punished. In fact, I had a big argument (in the council) that contributor states should not be punished,” the minister said. He appreciated the FKCCI’s efforts to create awareness about GST. He said he would take up the members’ concerns on income tax-based notices being issued to traders and other suggestions given in the council. On the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, Bommai said the GST collections had suffered, but thanks to the Central government’s initiative, losses were not transferred to states.