Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, June 23: President of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Pankaj R. Patel today met Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh and assured him of full support from FICCI for the smooth rollout of GST from the midnight of June 30 and July 1.
Patel also conveyed to Dr Jitendra Singh the FICCI plan to hold a mega event by the name “Northeast Connect 2017” at Kohima in the month of September for which he wanted Dr Jitendra Singh to be the chief guest.
Dr Jitendra Singh acknowledged the cooperation and constant assistance provided by FICCI during the last few months of preparations for the GST rollout from July 1. He also appreciated FICCI’s role in organising a series of awareness workshops about GST filing procedures and other aspects across the country, including Northeast. He also noted the FICCI’s scheduled participation in the mega event of Chartered Accountants congregation to be held in the union capital on the 1st of July with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as chief guest.
Referring to a series of meetings that he has been holding over the last few weeks with trade representatives, stakeholders, Delhi based Resident Commissioners of 8 Northeast States and State Representatives of Northeast, Dr Jitendra Singh said, this has enabled all of us to gain confidence about the feasibility and workability of the GST even under relatively difficult conditions of the Northeast.
Dr Jitendra Singh disclosed that issues related to connectivity and other aspects, which were a matter of concern in certain remote parts of Northeast, have been adequately addressed and taken care of. He said ,there were also certain misgivings about certain local products having been brought under tax while they were exempted from tax in the past, but when it was explained that earlier there were embedded taxes, which were not visible, but have been eliminated now as a result of which, the overall outcome cost would be the same, this satisfied everybody.
In the long run, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the peripheral States of Northeast and Jammu and Kashmir are bound to benefit the maximum because GST would ensure for them an equitable economic growth at par with the more developed states of India.
FICCI President Patel offered to hold more number of awareness camps and workshops on the eve of GST rollout in different parts of the country, including Jammu and Kashmir.
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