Arvind Kejriwal to meet traders on GST tomorrow

New Delhi, Nov 6: The Delhi government has organised a traders'meet on GST tomorrow, where Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will meet around 250 businessmen to get an overview of the niggling issues related to the indirect tax reform.

The meeting, timed ahead of the GST council meeting on November 9-10, has political significance as the opposition parties including Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party have been targeting the Centre over the "poor implementation" of the reform.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told a press conference here that the government will seek feedback from the traders and put forth their grievances at the council's upcoming meeting in Guwahati. "I have always advocated lowering of tax rates. The government has accepted many of my suggestions made in the previous meetings of the council in the later stages. Even today the Goods and Services Tax-Network (GSTN) is not in place," Sisodia said. The meeting will be held at The Ashoka Hotel here, a government spokesperson said.

The GSTN has been set up primarily to provide IT infrastructure and services to central and state governments, taxpayers and other stakeholders for implementation of the GST. Sisodia, who also holds the finance portfolio, will represent the Delhi government in the council's meeting. GST, which unified over a dozen local taxes, was rolled out from July 1. It has a four-tier structure of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent.

PTI