• DCCI serves 10-day ultimatum to Nagaland Government
• Says will close down businesses until government acts
DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 15 (MExN): The Dimapur Chamber of Industries and Commerce (DCCI) today issued a ten-day ultimatum to the Nagaland State Government to either opt out of the GST regime or stop all “item tax” levied by the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC).
A press note from the DCCI cautioned that failure on the part of the state government and the Municipal Affairs Department to take either action would compel the business community to shut down its shutters and cease all business activity indefinitely “till such time the government meets our demand.”
The DCCI stated that Dimapur has become a “haven for taxation” and consequently the business community in Nagaland is undergoing hardship to support their families. It said that businesses are being “forced to shell out the chunk of its income to take up the role of the bread earner for all tax imposing agencies and elements.”
“The taxation on business community has reached its limit of tolerance. Business cannot thrive or survive if it becomes a charitable institution donating ever increasing taxation,” it said.
The DCCI noted that the recent steep price rise in the market on hardware materials especially MS rods upon enforcing lease system by the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) is only one such instance “that needs to open the eyes of the government and the public.”
“The lease system where taxes on every item are levied by the DMC is beyond any reasoning and logic and a simple act of daylight robbery by the DMC,” the DCCI said.
The DCCI reminded the state government that it had opted for GST regime popularly known as ‘One nation one tax,’ where the entire country has one tax slab with uniform MRP. This being the case, “how can Nagaland business community survive on multiple taxations by the government while entire nation is doing business on single tax and uniform MRP all over India?” it questioned.
It also reminded the state government that with the implementation of the GST, taxation gates across the county have been closed down. However, it observed that in Dimapur “it is a mockery that DMC with the approval of government is still trying to rob its subjects through unheard of anywhere in the country called ‘item tax’ that enters the state through Dimapur.”
The DCCI stated that the business community cannot be fooled all the time and is aware of its rights. It reminded the government that it should share revenue with the DMC borne out of SGST as Nagaland is part of the GST regime. The business community will not allow double taxation on goods viz. GST and Item tax by DMC, it asserted.
The DCCI acknowledged all the NGOs who voiced out regarding the issue on behalf of the business community and hoped that DMC, Municipal Affairs Department and the Government of Nagaland would consider this issue seriously.
It meanwhile informed business establishments in Dimapur to open their shops till late in the evening and on Sundays during the festival season.
