Set up welfare board to protect traders’ interest: TNFMAL

MADURAI: To protect the interests of traders, Tamil Nadu Foodgrains Merchants Association Limited (TNFMAL), Madurai has urged the state government to set up a ‘Traders Welfare Board’ comprising representatives of various trade organisations.

Earlier, when GST was implemented initially, it looked very simple, but now the situation has changed and the authorities are penalising the stakeholders heavily for filing late returns. Moreover, a lot of products that were exempted from the VAT regime, are levied under the GST, SVSS Velshankar, president, TNFMAL, said on Saturday.

Genuine stakeholders should not be affected by the acts and rules formulated by both central and state governments. For instance, under the Agricultural Marketing of Produces Act, one per cent cess charge is levied for business transactions outside the market yard.

But, in neighbouring Karnataka, no cess is charged for business transactions outside the market yard. In another neighboring state Kerala, this Act is not adopted.

In Tamil Nadu, a lot of agricultural produces and food products were being brought from other states, processed, and repacked in places including Nagercoil, Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar, Sattur, Madurai, Theni, Coimbatore, Pollachi and Ariyalur and marketed in Kerala.

Because of this One per cent cess, these business transactions were moving to other states and also the government is losing about 2.5% GST revenue from these transactions.

“Hence, keeping this in mind, cess should not be levied for business transactions outside the market yard in Tamil Nadu,” he said.

Further, Velshankar said several states implemented the Samadhan scheme meant for solving disputes and collecting arrears under the VAT regime before the implementation of the Goods and Service Tax Act 2017.

But in Tamil Nadu, though it was announced in the Legislative Assembly that the scheme would be implemented, it has not been practiced.

Once the Samadhan scheme is effectively implemented, it would certainly increase revenue to the exchequer.