HT Correspondent
TEZPUR, July 1: The cabinet committee comprising state government’s minister for Housing & Urban Affairs and Irrigation, Ashok Singhal, and state Finance minister Ajanta Neog interacted with trade and business organisations from several districts of Central Assam on Goods and Services Tax (GST) at the Tezpur Convention Centre near here on Monday. This was the third meeting of the regional consultative meeting scheduled to be held at different places across the state.
Representatives of various trade organisations attending the meeting briefed the two ministers on the difficulties they faced following notices issued to them under GST and made several suggestions, including simplification of the tax payment system. In his speech, minister Singhal said that protecting the interests of taxpayers has always been a priority for the present government. He mentioned that the state government has consistently supported businessmen and is committed to effectively addressing the challenges they face, particularly in tax payment. “GST was introduced under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to benefit the business community in the state,” he added, mentioning that Assam is the first state in the country to conduct cabinet-level discussions with businessmen at the grassroots level, under the special initiative of chief minister Himanta Biswa Sharma.
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Singhal also appreciated the contribution of the business community from the participating districts towards the nation-building process. He stated that the ministers would hold further discussions in Tinsukia, Sivasagar, Jorhat, and Silchar to address traders’ concerns regarding GST notices and would submit their reports within a month.
The meeting was attended by MLA Prithviraj Rava, Pramod Barthakur, Ganesh Limbu, Krishna Kamal Tanty, state chief tax commissioner Pallav Gopal Jha, and other top officials of the department, as well as representatives of trade and business organisations from Tezpur, Dhekiajuli, Bishwanath Chariali, Nagaon, Hojai, and Morigaon.
Following this, the two ministers also held a separate meeting with deputy tax commissioners from the mentioned districts of Central Assam and suggested working with sympathetic consideration, offering relaxation to them.
