TRADERS ACTION COMMITTEE CALLED A MEETING ON VAT ISSUES

TRADERS ACTION COMMITTEE CALLED A MEETING  ON VAT ISSUES 

Vijyender Sharma

SHIMLA---Even the Delhi Chief Minister Mr. Arvind Kejriwal Today assured the traders to keep DS1 form pending but nothing has been said about withdrawal of Notification of VAT Department regarding mandatory writing of item code invoices, the Traders Action Committee has connived a meeting of Delhi Traders tomorrow to decide future course of action including Traders Vyapar band on 31st May, 2016, announced yesterday.

According to Action Committee Convenor Mr. Praveen Khandelwal the VAT Department of Delhi Government is working against the mandate of Chief Minister since Mr. Arvind Kejriwal has always advocated of participatory governance and whereas the VAT Department has never consulted traders on policy issues though several notifications and orders have been issued till date. Repeated visits of the VAT officials in commercial markets, unilateral policy decisions smacks autocratic attitude of the Department which has never seen before under any regime.

The Form DS-1 will not only damage trade and commerce in Delhi but will also adversely affect business of other states as well since Delhi is the largest distribution centre of trade in the Country and when Delhi traders will not be able to send goods to other States for want of Form DS-1 online filing of which is a pre-condition  for inter state sales, other states will  not get any goods from Delhi and they will be forced to source products from any other state-said Rajendra Gupta, General Secretary, Delhi Pradesh Trade Organisation. 

As per the notification issued by the Department every trader is liable to give 17 information in a prescribed format for each invoice which will load manifold work load on the traders. The traders are liable to provide G/R No, Vehicle number which is not possible at all since most of the loading of material by the Transporters are done in the night whereas the material is dispatched during working hours. No Transporter can give G/R No. in advance, the how can a trader be able to provide such information prior to sending goods outside Delhi. Providing vehicle number by the transport is almost impossible since even the transport does not know by which vehicle the goods will be transported.

Shri Kailash Gupta, President of the Action Committee said that in recent past the Department has issued a notification making it mandatory for the traders to write Item code against each item in any invoice which is practically impossible. Even the VAT Department has not been able to prepare item codes for all the items sold in Delhi. It is learnt that so far item code of about 1500 items have been allotted and rest of the items are yet to be allotted item codes. Not writing item code is a punishable offence and in most likelihood large number of traders have to face punishment due to slackness of the Department.

It is most disgusting that refunds of traders of the amount deposit in excess in comparison to their due taxes is one another major burning issue. The Department has failed in giving timely refunds. There are large number of cases where refund has not been made for years together. It has resulted into blockage of capital of the traders with the Department. There are many other procedural issues which are proving as a deterrent to smooth functioning of business in Delhi.

**VijyenderSharma*, Press Correspondent Bohan Dehra Road  JAWALAMUKHI-176031, Kangra HP(INDIA)*
 
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