JAMMU: Seeking roll back of SROs recently issued by the government to grant amnesty to defaulters of GST, JKNPP Chairman, Harsh Dev Singh described the government move as highly retrograde and economically unsound.
In a stamen issued here on Wednesday, Harsh said that it was being seen as a sinister deal brokered by helmsmen for personal gains and interests. He said that by waiving off the penalties’ as well as the interest due on tax collections, the government had set a bad precedent which was fraught with dangerous portends. He said that such a favour of the government conferred upon the defaulting traders had conveyed wrong signals to the business community and unravelled government reputation. While the said government move had discouraged the honest taxpaying traders and other businessmen, the un-scrupulous elements had felt emboldened and encouraged, he said, adding further that the government had proved that timely payment of taxes was a dis-incentive.
Questioning the rationale behind such an obnoxious proposition, Harsh said that the government decision an amnesty was seen as a clever move to favour certain blue eyed traders.
“What else could be the motive behind waiving off more than 11 year old taxes arrears as the SROs categorically state that amnesty is only for the traders whose tax arrears had accumulated over the years till 2004-2005,” he added. He regretted that the government conferred favours on the defaulters notwithstanding the fact that they withheld the taxes after obtaining the same from consumers and which constituted an economic offense. He said the government move was in contravention of established norms and procedures besides being violative of financial protocols and procedures.