New Delhi, Aug 23 (KNN) With two months into the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the country, the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are still to pave their way through the complications in using the GST portal, either because of glitches in the functioning of the GST website or because of lack of appropriate instructions, All India Manufacturers Organization  informed.

Talking to KNN, K.E Raghunathan, National President of All India Manufacturers Organization (AIMO) informed that the Micro and Small sector are facing severe complications in very basic compliances under the GST.

Listing the issues, Raghunathan said that over 40,000 MSMEs associated with AIMO has had problems in accessing the portal to file the GSTR-3B form that is supposed to be filed before 25^th of August.

“The portal isn’t functioning in a comprehensive manner, the already struggling MSMEs are further burdened with the problems due to the poor server connections from the side of the GST portal” he said.

Raghunathan added that the GST portal seems to have not been through the testing phase, because of which the website is unable to handle the traffic, resulting in distress to the MSMEs.

He further elaborated that there have been cases in which the payment is made and the money is deducted from the bank account, meanwhile the GST portal does not return to the homepage and the amount appears as unpaid or payment initiated.

“The entire industry welcomed the One Nation One Tax decision of the government, but with such problems coming across, the new taxation seems more of a pain” he added.

Commenting upon the severity of the problem with regard to the MSME sector, Raghunathan said that while the large companies can afford to ignore such glitches as they have dedicated team of accountants and professionals whose job is to manage taxation, for a small or micro unit, it doesn’t have the luxury to afford such delays.

Also AIMO has submitted a representation to the GST council highlighting the issues, away from a response, the government is yet to issue an acknowledgement of the representation document, adding to the helplessness of the MSMEs, he added. (KNN/ DA)