20000202

CBR officials accused of

complicating GST issue

RECORDER REPORT

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad Businessmen Panel Chairman Mohammad Amin Khatri and the former president, Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, (HCCI) Masood Parvez, have pointed out that the general sales tax (GST) issue had been made complicated by the officials of the Central Board of Revenue (CBR).

In a joint statement issued here on Tuesday, they claimed that they have developed a tendency to always over play the trend on the part of businessmen not to pay taxes.

They advised the finance minister that the government should publicly state that this tax will be introduced gradually over a period of time, say, three years.

They opined that in order to ensure effective enforcement of ST, trade bodies all over the country should be closely associated with the implementation process.

Representatives of trade bodies should be present at the time of assessment of tax and hearing of appeals.