Sushil Modi-headed committee to monitor tech issues of GST

Dated NEW DELHI, September 13, 2017

The government has constituted a five-member Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Bihar’s deputy chief minister Sushil Modi to monitor technology-related implementation issues of GST. The setting up of GoM follows the decision taken in the 21st GST Council meeting, wherein states had raised the glitches being faced by taxpayers in filing their GST returns on GSTN.

Other members include Chhattisgarh’s Minister for Commercial Taxes Amar Agrawal, Karnataka’s agriculture minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Kerala’s finance minister T M Thomas Isaac, Telangana’s finance minister Etela Rajender.

The GoM has been formed “in order to monitor and resolve the IT challenges faced in the implementation of GST,” a release said. “The GoM will be assisted in its work by the Chairman, Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) and the CEO, GSTN,” it added.

The government has also constituted a committee on exports convened by revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia to look into issues of export sector and to recommend suitable strategy for helping the export sector in the post-GST scenario to the GST Council. Other members include CBEC chairperson Vanaja N Sarna; CBEC member (customs); director general, DGFT; additional secretary, GST Council; director general, DG Export Promotion from the central government and commissioners of commercial taxes from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

Exporters have raised concerns about GST, with higher cost of working capital owing to difficulties in availing input tax credit and refunds.

Before GST, exporters enjoyed upfront tax exemption on goods to be exported, but now, exporters have to pay GST before procurement of goods and services. Also, exporters and those under the advance authorisation schemes now have to pay IGST on imported inputs. They can, however, avail input tax credit after sale within the domestic tariff area or after sending their shipments outside the country. The exporters can then claim the unutilised credit as refund, a process in which their capital gets blocked with the government and raises their operating cost.

Source: www.indianexpress.com