SrinagarTerming the union GST Act as tsunami for the yet-to-evolve industry in the Kashmir Valley, the Fedetation Chamber of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) has demanded its immediate roll back.
In an executive council meeting held under the chairmanship of speaker Syed Fazal Illah, the members resolved to work in tandem with the newly formed Jammu and Kashmir Coordination Committee (JKCC) in order to mount pressure on the state government for the roll back of this draconian law clandestinely extended to the state.
The members observed that extension of this 47th amendment was yet another assault on the special status enjoyed by the state under Article 370.
Discussing over the papers written by constitutional experts and published in various newspapers, the members observed that it was clear that affording concurrence to the union law is a big mistake on the part of the state government as the action had eclipsed its fiscal powers under section 5 of the J&K constitution.
While discussing the impact of GST on local industry working under unfavourable conditions in a declared disturbed state, the members said that it was impossible for them to directly come under competition with their counterparts in most advantageous states.
Participating in the discussion, the President FCIK Er. Mukhtar Yousuf conveyed his regrets on the confusion created by the state government both in the constitutional as well as technical aspects of GST.Although the government is on record to have assured of reimbursement of tax to the industry, yet there was lot of confusion over it, he said adding that the tax rebate can no more be used as cost equaliser by passing on the benefit to the consumers. Why should the consumer purchase goods produced by local industry at a higher cost when the imported ones would be available to him at much lower cost. The President said that the poultry and handicrafts industry may be wiped out in the new tax regime.
The meeting also discussed other issues confronting normal functioning of the industry and took decisions for their redressal.
Meanwhile the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry (Inc) convened a separate meeting of its members connected with the handicraft activity of carpet, shawl, crewel works, woodcarving, chain stitch and papier machie on Monday to assess the impact and anguish caused to the stakeholders by implementing GST in the state.
The meeting was well attended by large number of members, artisans, weavers, manufacturers and dealers of all items of handicrafts. All the participants in the meeting expressed in one voice anguish over the implementation of GST in the state, a statement issued by the KCC&I said.
Members felt the GST has its grave implication on the day to day handicraft business of lakhs of people connected and that the Government has deceived them in this regard by not fulfilling its promises.
After detailed discussion on the adverse impact of the GST on the Kashmiri handicrafts affecting one and all right from the artisan/weaver to the dealer, it was decided that the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry should use all resources at its command to ensure that the GST in the case of J&K State is rolled back and fiscal autonomy of the state is restored without any more loss of time, the statement read.
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