Erode District Small Industries Association (EEDISSIA) has urged the Central government to reduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on plastic raw materials, textile yarn and carbonated fruit juice-based drink.
The association’s general body meeting was held under the chairmanship of its president P. Thirumoorthy in which secretary R. Ramparakash, vice-presidents V.T. Shreedhar and P. Kandasamy, treasurer S. Palanivel, joint secretary A. Saravanan Babu and members participated. Various resolutions were passed during the meeting.
A resolution said that the GST council has recommended an increase in the GST rate on cartons, boxes, packing containers of paper from the present 12% to 18%. The resolution said that the move will affect the paper industry much and wanted the proposal to be withdrawn. Another resolution said that it was proposed to increase the GST for carbonated beverages upto 40% and wanted it to be withdrawn. Use of plastic bags for packing was banned without any proof and hence the government should come out with alternative products for packing on war-footing. Since plastic items can be recycled, it should be permitted for secondary packages, the resolution said.
Other resolutions were, including Erode under the Coimbatore-Salem Industrial Corridor project, converting Erode district as drone special production centre, focusing on parachute manufacturing in the district, establishing separate industrial estates for textile, food processing and plastics in the district, establishing export hub, establishing railway export terminal at Sipcot in Perundurai and taking steps to control price of fuel. A resolution called for constructing flyovers, public parking lots and ring roads in the city and pedestrian subway near Erode Railway Junction and a flyover at Rangampalayam. The resolution also urged the government to widen the existing roads connecting Tiruchengodu, Chithode and Karur as four-lanes.
