Kashmir chamber vows not to allow GST in present form

A leading chamber of commerce today vowed to disallow implementation of GST in J&K in its present form and asked the state government to spell out alternative measures from July 1 when the new tax regime comes into effect in the rest of the country.
"Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) will not allow the implementation of GST in the state in its present form as it compromises the financial autonomy and special status of the state. For that purpose, the chamber will take all the measures at its command to prevent its implementation," the oldest business body said in a statement here.

It said the KCCI made the resolve during an interactive meeting between its executive committee and prominent members of civil society here.
"The meeting, presided over by KCCI President Mushtaq Ahmad Wani, discussed in detail the disastrous implication of GST on the financial autonomy of the state," the statement said.
It asked the state government to come out and put in public domain the proposed draft GST bill for public opinion.
"KCCI being an important stakeholder should be given an opportunity to put forward its point of view on the issue before the committee of legislators recently constituted for discussing GST legislation," the statement said.

It said the alternate measures to be taken by the government from July 1, when GST law will be rolled out in other states, needs to be spelt out without wasting any time.

The members of the civil society who participated in the meeting include former High Court Judge Justice (retired) Hassnain Masoodi, former bureaucrat Mohammad Shafi Pandit, former Chief Income Tax Commissioner G R Sofi, Journalist Anuradha Bhasin and educationist Nusrat Andrabi.
A special assembly session was convened here on June 17 but had to be adjourned the same day indefinitely without taking up the GST bill for discussion after it was unanimously decided that the bill will be taken up only after the all- party panel on GST submits its report.

The special session of the state legislature was summoned for discussing and passing the draft bill prepared by the government that would bring the state under the ambit of GST law.