Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 4: Reite-rating that the Government attaches much significance to good and cordial relationship between administration and the trade and industry, the Minister for Finance and Ladakh Affairs, Abdul Rahim Rather today said that effective and judicious use of resources and better deliverance of services to the citizens is the main policy framework of the States planning process and its implementation on the ground.
Speaking at marathon seven hours long pre-budget discussions with the nominated representatives of Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI), Kashmir Hotel Restaurant Owners Federation (KHAROF), Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Associations (KHARA), Kashmir Traders & Manufacturers Federation (KTME), Federation Chamber of Industries, Kashmir (FCI), Transporters Federation, Goods Carriers Transport Association and the Association of Kashmir Motors and Drivers Association at the Excise & Taxation Complex, Solina Srinagar today, Mr. Rather said that synergy of ideas between the Government and the Civil society, including traders and business community, was primarily imperative to harness goals and benefits of various Government programmes and schemes aimed at State’s sustainable socio-economic development with focus on employment generation and economic emancipation.
The Economic Advisor to Government, Jalil Ahmad Khan, Commissioner Commercial Taxes, Kifayat Hussain Rizvi, Director Budgets, Dr. M. Ishaq Wani, Special Secretary Finance, Zubair Ahmad, Additional Commissioner Commercial Taxes, Rafiq Ahmad Hakim, Deputy Commissioner Commercial Taxes Central, Showkat Aijaz and other concerned Officers were also present in the meetings.
Mr. Rather announced that representatives of Trade and Industry would be included in the Permanent Grievance Redressal Committee (PGRC), so that their grievances and demands are heard appropriately at the highest level for immediate redressal. The PGRC is a high powered committee headed by the Financial Commissioner Finance, to address the day to day problems.
In response to another query, Mr. Rather said Government has in clear terms asked the Officers of Excise and Commercial Taxes that business community is a respectable and reasonable segment of the society and all precautions need to be taken that no trader is unnecessary harassed during his dealings with the department.
Mr. Rather asked the business community that before implementation of Goods and Services Tax regime in the State alongwith other states of the country, all the stake holders including trade and Industry will be taken on board, adding that the interests of the State’s people would be protected at all levels.
Main demands which were made during the pre-budget discussions included VAT exemption on handicrafts including handmade walnut wood carved furniture, made-ups of chain stitch and raw pashmina wool, making Kashmir a free economic zone, budgetary intervention for promotion of MSME sector, promotion of handlooms, food processing, tourism and horticulture sectors on modern lines, establishment of marketing haats under SGSY and food streets, solid waste management, construction of mini power projects under PPP mode, setting up of a single Toll plaza at Lower Munda for general trade, creation of VAT return Filing Facilitators on the pattern of Income Tax Facilitators, VAT rebate on items needed for consumption in hotel and restaurant sector, exemption of service tax on room rent, implementation of 30% Capital Outright Investment Subsidy to the existing tourism infrastructure and treating tourism industry at par with small scale industries.
The KCCI, KHAROF, KHARA, KTMF, FCIK and Transporters federation were lead by their respective presidents, Ab. Hamid Panjabi, Faiz Bakshi, Showkat Chowdhary, Mohammad Yasin Khan, Zahoor Ahmad and Abdul Rashid Tichoo, Ghazi Abdul Majid and F. A. Batqoo.
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