GST: Government Forms 18 Sectoral Groups To Resolve Industry Issues
18 groups of state and central government officials to resolve issues related to GST.
The government has constituted 18 sector-specific groups of officials to resolve problems faced by the industry to ensure smooth transition to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) that is set to roll out next month.
The groups will comprise senior officers from state and central governments who will respond to issues faced by respective sectors, a finance ministry release said. The groups will highlight sector-specific issues and prepare a sectoral draft guidance, it said.
The working groups have been set up for the following sectors:
- Banking, Finance and Insurance
- Telecom
- Exports
- Information Technology
- Transport and Logistics
- Textiles
- Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
- Oil and Gas
- Gems and Jewellery
- Services received and provided by government
- Food Processing
- Electonic-Commerce
- Infrastructure (airport and sea ports including Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul, Power Sector, Housing and Construction)
- Travel and Tourism
- Handicrafts
- Media and Entertainment
- Drugs and Pharmaceuticals
- Mining
The GST Council had in its May 18-19 meeting in Srinagar decided to constitute the groups.
“Concerned industry groups/associations or even individual industry representatives may approach the respective sectoral group officers with their problems, if any, relating to GST implementation who, in turn, will try to guide and help them in resolving the same. This exercise will help in dealing with most of the sectoral problems and issues at the local/regional level,” the release said.
A Central Board of Excise and Customs official told BloombergQuint on condition of anonymity that there is no timeline to respond to the industry’s queries on GST. The revenue secretary has called a meeting of officials on June 11 after the GST Council meet to discuss operating procedure and the deadline to submit the sectoral draft guidance, the official said.