Chennai, Aug 14 (KNN) The small scale candy manufacturers in Tamil Nadu have approached state chief minister E K Palaniswami seeking tax exemption for the sector under GST stating that the sector witnessed a decrease in sales by about 50 per cent.

Candy and its associated products have been placed in the 18 per cent GST slab.

The Sweets and Biscuit Manufacturing and Distributors Association (SBMDA) said GST implementation has left over 10,000 small-scale manufacturers in the lurch.

Kadalai Mittai (candy made of groundnut), which had received tax exemption in 2007, is now in the highest GST bracket.

SBMDA president N Pandi said the price rise has led to a decrease in orders. “The candy business has lost its glory after GST as many traders have stopped buying in bulk,” he said.

One of the demands made by SBMDA members is tax exemption for handmade candies for the sake of manufacturers and traders.

Speaking about the filing of GST returns, SBMDA members said most of them lack computer knowledge.