New Delhi, Dec 23 (KNN) Voicing the need to have the toll tax continued, a delegation of Association of Industries called on the State Minister for Finance, Labour & Employment Dr. Haseeb Ahmed Drabu and urged him to consider continuation of general levy of toll tax at Lakhanpur in order to safeguard the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) of Jammu.

The delegation raised that toll tax was never intended to be covered and subsumed in GST. Toll continues to be levied in many states and NHAI continues to collect even today in many points in J&K and elsewhere in the country.

The delegation further impressed upon the Finance Minister that continuation of levy of toll tax on import and export of goods is a must and should continue.

However there should be no negative list with regards to toll tax and targeting some specific industries, the delegation said.

The members stated that toll tax at Lakhanpur is a safeguard for the industrial sector to check the import and export of unaccounted goods, contraband and other banned items to and fro from other parts of the country and if the Government withdraw the toll tax, the whole state will be flooded with the uncounted goods and other related material which will prove as death. (KNN/DA)