National
GST should be fixed at 18 per cent: Amit Mitra
New Delhi, Nov 25 (IANS) West Bengal on Saturday sought fixing of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) at 18 per cent on all goods except tobacco and luxury items bringing it down from the present level of 28 per cent.
West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra told the media here that the launching of the GST in a hurry led to a loss of nearly Rs one lakh crore for the Centre and the states put together.
Speaking at an event at the International Trade Fair here, Mitra said that despite Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee warning the Centre against the GST saying that they were not ready for it, it went ahead with the new tax regime and now traders were unable to file returns due to various technical complexities.
“We told the central government not to launch GST on July 1, 2017,” Mitra said.
“I am unhappy to say that the Centre has shortfall of approximately Rs 65,000 crore in last three months and states of around Rs 30,000 crore,” Mitra said.
He added that about close to Rs one lakh crore of “expected protected fund” has already been lost in past three months.
The Minister said that in September, close to 30 per cent taxpayers did not file returns which increased to 40 per cent in October.
“A possible reason is that small traders are not able to file their returns… If they don’t file returns, there has to be a tax shortfall,” Mitra said adding that the situation is “very grim”.
“Traders are not able to file GSTR – 2 forms, which is meant for purchase. Therefore, we had proposed a simple form for filing returns,” he said.
Mitra also said that there should be a principle on the basis of which tax rates should be decided on goods and services, not on the basis of “cherry picking and lobbying”.
He said the most dangerous thing with the situation is non-availability of refund processing menu system till date.
“Now, they are talking about manual refund, instead of the computerised process. Even the return data is not available. This may create a stumbling block in smooth refund… Therefore the traders are not able to claim refunds,” he said.
“Data consistency” is another serious problem, said the Minister, adding that the data provided by GSTN to the states is “incomplete and erroneous”.
Speaking of digital transactions, Mitra said that there has been drastic fall since March 2017.
“In March 2017, e-transaction was up to Rs 149 lakh crore. However, in August 2017 it came down to Rs 109 lakh crore,” he said.
Speaking of Aadhaar accounts, the Minister said, “According to a government department, Centre for Internet Security, 13.5 crore Aadhaar accounts have been compromised,” Mitra pointed out.
He said “compromised security” of Aadhaar accounts was the reason that Banerjee did not open an Aadhaar account.
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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