Amritsar tea traders urge Govt. to bring down the VAT to 4%

Amritsar, May 20 (KNN) Amritsar Tea Traders Association has urged the Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, Sukhbir Singh Badal to reduce the Value Added Tax (VAT) from seven per cent to four per cent.

Talking to KNN, the Former President of Amritsar Tea Traders Association, Rajendra Goyal, who served the Association for 15 Years, said “We requested Deputy CM to reduce the VAT on tea as tea business is finishing in Punjab because the neighbouring states of Punjab like Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Rajasthan have VAT rate of just five per cent. 

Until or unless the VAT rate won’t be reduced to four per  cent in Punjab, the infiltration from the neighbouring state will go on and local business will die,” he added.

He alleged that tea is coming from Delhi via illegal route as Delhi has no law where VAT is being stolen. The tea comes directly to Punjab market and local businesses die, he added.

When asked about the assurance given from the Government, he said that Deputy CM assured to look into the issue but he spoke like a "politician". 

When it would happen nobody knows. The Government have to reduce the VAT rate down to four Percent, else the remaining trade would also finish, he said. (KNN Bureau)