Delay in rescinding GST on handmade products condemned

Senior theatre artist and member of Gram Seva Sangh, Prasanna, has demanded that the Central government rescind Goods and Service Tax (GST) on all handmade products.

Addressing presspersons in Kalaburagi city on Tuesday Mr. Prasanna said even after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced GST exemption on 29 handicraft items two months ago, till now it has not been implemented. At present, the handmade products are placed in the 5 to 18 per cent tax category. Artisans working in the cottage industry are struggling to survive.

With the growing machine-made products in the market, the rural artisans would soon close down their business if the Central government failed to bring them under the cooperative sector and make them tax-free, he said.

“We had prepared a list of products advocating zero GST and submitted it to the State government. Agriculture, forest, handloom and khadi, handicraft, services and cultural performance would fall under the handmade products sector. The Gram Seva Sangha would launch a series of movements against the government if it failed to give tax exemption on handmade products,” Mr. Prasanna added.