Plywood units go on strike against "high" GST rate

Plywood manufacturing units in Haryana went on an indefinite strike today to protest the imposition of "high" rate of GST, besides 2 per cent market fee being charged by the state government, an industry body said.

All plywood manufacturing units remained closed here.

"We are protesting against the 28 per cent GST on plywood, 18 per cent GST on raw material and 2 per cent market fee. It will be difficult to run the industry as it makes our business unviable," said Devendra Chawla, president of the All-India Plywood Manufacturing Association.

He said after paying such "high tax rates", small-scale units would not be able to survive as their cost would increase sharply.
 

"Thousands of workers engaged in plywood units will be rendered jobless," he told reporters.

Yamunanagar is home to over 1,000 units alone and considered one of Asia's largest timber markets.

Scores of plywood units in Kaithal, Rohtak and the NCR region have also joined the strike, Chawla said.

Before GST, he said they were paying about 15 per cent tax, including 4.2 per cent VAT, on purchase of raw material.