Sikkim to launch enforcement drive for GST collection

The Sikkim government on Thursday said that it will launch an enforcement drive from February 17 next to force the hoteliers to make timely payment of Goods and Services Tax (GST).

It has been observed that the contribution of GST and other taxes from the hotel industry to the overall state revenue remains below par despite the state being a major tourist destination, the Commercial Taxes Commissioner, Jigmee Dorjee Bhutia told reporters.

The enforcement drive may even include the arrest of the defaulters under Section 69 of the Sikkim Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, Bhutia said and asked all hoteliers to pay up GST and other taxes before February 17 next.

The Commercial Taxes Department had conducted a field survey of the hotels recently and found that the number of defaulters among hoteliers is very high and the majority of the defaulters are ignorant about the consequential law for non-payment of GST and other taxes, he said