BHUBANESWAR: The State has registered 21 per cent increase in revenue earning following the implementation of Goods and Service Tax (GST). Finance Minister Sashi Bhusan Behera informed this while addressing a function here to mark one year completion of the GST regime. The State has earned `13,737 crore by way of Integrated Goods and Service Tax (IGST), he said.
Stating that so far, 2,22,204 business establishments have come under the purview of GST in Odisha, the Minister said out of those, 99,078 are newly registered. Behera, however, said several demands of the State are still under the consideration of the GST council. Those include complete waiver of GST on cups and plates made of sal and siali leaves and sabai grass. The GST rate on these items is five per cent. The demand of the Odisha Government to waive tax on these items is now under the consideration of fitment committee of the GST council, he said.
The Minister said Odisha Government had abolished check gates before implementation of GST in the country and also introduced e-way bill. He said weavers and cinema made in Odia language have incurred losses after introduction of GST as some demands of the State Government are yet to be fulfilled.Behera, however, admitted that tax system and process of taxation have been simplified after introduction of GST. The Odisha Government has always supported reforms in taxation to simplify the process and bring in transparency in trade and business. The GST council is aware of the need of the business class as well as the consumers and rules are being changed as per requirement, he added.
Additional Chief Secretary in the Finance department Tuhin Kanta Pandey said use of information and technology (IT) has brought transparency in the tax system. He said the committee constituted by the GST council is now preparing simplified form for filing tax returns. Chief Commissioner of GST, Central Excise and Customs Rakesh Kumar Sharma, Special Secretary in the Finance department Ashok Kumar Meena and Commissioner, Commercial Taxes and GST Saswat Mishra also attended.
