Delhi govt starts registration of city traders under GST

The Delhi government today launched a process for getting city traders registered under Goods and Services Tax regime, which is expected to be rolled out in 2017.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who formally initiated the procedure that continues till December 31, sought "queries and concerns" from the traders to properly shape up the new tax law.
Sisodia said the GST is a new tax reform and also good for the country and it will benefit every citizen and trader as well.
There are currently around 3.48 lakh traders registered with the Trade and Taxes Department of Delhi Government and they are eligible to get themselves registered under GST regime.

"There is good atmosphere about GST in the country. We have started the practice of registering 3.50 lakh traders under GST regime so that they won't have to face problems when the new tax law comes into force. We hope that GST will be implemented from April 1 in the country," Sisodia said while addressing a gathering here.
He also said that GST is currently in initial state and it is our responsibility to properly shape it.

"Traders should come forward and tell us about their queries and concerns relating to GST so that I could raise them in the GST council," Sisodia, who also holds finance portfolio, said.

The Deputy CM also demanded that the word- 'dealers' which exists in the current tax law should be replaced with 'partners' in the GST regime.
"I don't know why 'dealers' word is there (in existing tax law). It should be replaced with 'partners' as traders collect tax from people and give it to the state government and hence, they are 'partners' in collecting tax.
"Instead of calling them dealers, they should be called partners," he said.
A senior government official said that a self-training module is available on the website- gst.Gov.In and that could be used for understanding the process.

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Meanwhile, Sisodia said today he requested the GST council to seriously consider the issue of tax exemption to cinemas.
"I have raised the issue of tax exemption to consider educational and low budget cinema in GST Council today..If we don't provide tax relief to low budget & educational cinema, it will cease to exist," he said in a series of his tweets.
The Delhi Deputy Chief Minister also said, "I've requested the GST Council to consider the cinema tax exemption issue seriously. It is IMP not only for industry but for society as well (sic).