Punjab Traders demand OTS scheme without slab system to settle old VAT cases

Amritsar, Apr 11 (KNN) The Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal (PPBM) has accused the state government of sending VAT assessment to 8,000 GST dealers without issuing them a prior notice, reported the Tribune.

Members of the PPBM alleged that the officials wanted to implement the slab system in the One Time Settlement (OTS) scheme so that traders could not settle old VAT cases easily and the scope for corruption remained.

Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal has urged the state government to issue a one-time settlement scheme without the slab system soon and that the notices issued by the GST Department be withdrawn.

As per reports, the department has made a demand for depositing more funds for cases pertaining to the financial year 2015-16 and 2016-17 which the dealers called highly inappropriate.

GST dealers Sunil Mehra, Sameer Jain and LR Sodhi, who are also members of the PPBM, recalled that Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, during his visit to the city on January 26, assured a PPBM delegation that soon, a one-time settlement scheme would be introduced to settle more than six-year-old VAT cases.

“The move was expected to pave the way for the introduction of a new tax system under the GST for VAT dealers,” he said.

Members of the PPBM also strongly condemned the Power Corporation for increasing electricity rates for commercial consumers by 50 paise per unit.  (KNN Bureau)