Haryana receives 43 complaints related to GST benefits

Chandigarh, Oct 10: The Haryana government today said it has received 43 complaints of dealers not passing on to consumers the benefit of lower tax rates under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime.

"We have received 43 complaints so far in Haryana where benefits of lower tax rates under the GST regime were not passed on to consumers," state finance minister Captain Abhimanyu said while talking to reporters here today. A state level screening committee on anti-profiteering will examine these complaints, he further said.

The GST law provides for constitution of anti- profiteering authority. "A mechanism has been put in place in Haryana to check any unauthorised profiteering committed by taxpayers in the name of GST," he further said. "If a dealer does not pass on the benefits of lower tax rates under the GST, a complaint can be lodged against him," he said. There are about 89 items on which the overall tax burden has come down as compared to the pre-GST regime, minister said. "Further, there are 149 exempted items under GST on which no tax is levied. Only 17 per cent of the goods attract the highest rate of 28 per cent," he said.

The anti-profiteering mechanism was proposed to enable the benefit of lower taxation in the GST with the subsuming of over a dozen central and state taxes like excise duty, service tax and VAT and end to tax-on-tax, is passed on to consumers.

A state level screening committee has been set up comprising Rajesh Sanan, Commissioner CGST, Panchkula, and Vidya Sagar, Additional ETC, Haryana. This committee was constituted to ascertain whether reductions in tax rates post rollout of GST have been passed on to consumers. Then this committee would send the consumer complaints to the Standing Committee which will examine the prima facie evidence within two months.

Upon receipt of evidence, the committee would send it to the Director General of Safeguards which will conduct detailed investigation within three months and send its report to the Anti-Profiteering Authority. The authority will have the power to cancel registration of any entity or business if it fails to pass on to consumers the benefit of lower taxes under the GST regime, official said.

The minister said that the Department of Excise and Taxation along with the Central Board of Excise and Customs and district administration is conducting state-wide survey to obtain feedback and suggestions on various issues relating to implementation of GST. Twenty-four teams comprising three senior officers have been constituted to carry out this survey in every district of the state. During the week-long campaign, the teams will reach out to taxpayers as well as consumers, he said.

PTI