DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 17 (MExN): Objecting to the collection of toll tax by the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC), whether hiked or not, the People for Democratic Rights (PDR) on Wednesday said no amount of justification given by DMC to collect tolls and urban utility fees will change the reality of GST law of “one nation, one tax.”
PDR, in a press release issued by its media & publicity affairs stated that the DMC can only collect such tolls/items and utility fees only after the GST law are amended to allow such collection by urban local bodies. It therefore stated that collection at check gates and highways and tolls on all items should be stopped since the state is already under GST regime.
The PDR also took umbrage that the DMC chose to separately meet the Naga Council Dimapur (NCD) and resolved to continue with the old rates for toll tax while sidelining the Dimapur Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) which is the parent body for business establishments in Dimapur and the Hardware Merchants’ Association Dimapur District who had raised the issue.
It said no matter how good the intention might be, the Naga Council as a matured body should not have taken a call on behalf of business community without the consent from the aggrieved party.
The PDR also wanted to know how the PAC -NCD, which was formed to tackle the menace of multiple taxation, plan to monitor the activities of the lessees under DMC when the GST regime covers all taxes.
It pointed out that the tolls and urban utility fees clearly amounts to double taxation and the PAC-NCD was expected to take a strong stand on any sort of double/multiple taxation no matter how much the government agencies tries to justify.
Expressing surprise that the NCD, which has a history of opposing such lease system, would agree with the DMC on the same and on collection of taxes as per old rates, the PDR reminded on the joint statement issued on June 1, 2017 by the NCD, DUCCF, Naga Women Hoho Dimapur, Business Association of Nagas, Muslim Council Dimapur, DCCI, Dimapur Bengali Samaj and the GBs Union Dimapur “re-affirming their position that collection of toll tax should not be leased out to any private party/middleman at any cost.”
It also stated that similar statement was issued by a number of civil societies vowing that the public shall fight tooth and nail to oppose the implementation of lease system while cautioning that any lessee will not be allowed to collect toll taxes and that the public would rise up to the issue.
The PDR now wondered why these organizations remain silent in the present day.
