‘Clear pending VAT, GST refunds as soon as possible’

Ludhiana: The Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings (CICU) has expressed disappointment over the state taxation department’s inability to clear the pending VAT and GST refunds of businessmen. Office-bearers of the association organised a meeting and flayed the department for the delay and have requested the state government to intervene in the matter and get the pending refunds of both VAT and GST disposed of at the earliest.
CICU president Upkar Singh Ahuja said, “A meeting of our steering committee was held to discuss the major problems being faced by the state’s industry and it emerged that the pending GST and VAT refunds have become the biggest problem for businessmen. What is even more embarrassing for the state taxation department that it has been almost three years since VAT regime ended in the country but even then the refunds dating back to that time are still held up”
According to Pankaj Sharma, general secretary of CICU , “Clearing VAT and GST refunds should be the top priority of the state government. In addition to this, the state government should also restart mining so that raw material for construction industry is made available and fixed charges on the power bills should be waived till December 2020. Our another demand is that the state government should bring back labour from other states at its own expense and draft a policy of quarantine for such workers and no action be taken against the industrial units if any such worker who is returning is found positive.”
According to JS Bhogal, publicity secretary of the association said, “Government must bring a policy for one time settlement of C-forms and it should be ensured that rate of electricity should not to be hiked in Punjab.”