Port Blair, Jul 01: Goods and Services Tax (GST) is India’s biggest indirect tax reform which started on 01st July 2017 and in 2022, the sixth year of successful implementation of GST after braving some serious challenges, it was worth a celebration.
On the 5th anniversary of the most notable and unprecedented tax reform of the country, the implementation of the Goods and Service Tax(GST), the UTGST department, Port Blair organized a GST Day Celebration.
The commemoration began in the benign presence of the Chief Guest, Mr. Suneel Anchipaka, Commissioner of UTGST, Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Suneel Anchipaka recalled the pre-GST taxation system in India was one of the most complicated tax systems in the world. Multiple taxes, multiple returns to be filed by assesses, interface with multiple tax authorities, cascading effect of taxes, rising inflation, no free flow of goods across the country, fragmented markets across the country, inter alia, were some of the tenuous issues plaguing the indirect taxation system in India. GST has persuaded people to do business in a transparent manner without evading taxes, Mr.Anchipaka added.
He appreciated all the initiatives taken by the officers of the UTGST department towards smooth functioning of the GST department and helping the tax-payers in every possible way.He further appealed to the tax-payer to cooperate with the Government in making the country an Economic Powerhouse of the future.
The Commissioner, UTGST concluding his address thanked the tax-payers without whose cooperation GST could not have been the success that it is today. Though GST has given a lot of reasons to cheer about with its achievements, the best of GST in terms of its contribution to society is yet to come, he added.
He further requested the tax-payers to file their GST returns on time and discharge off their tax liabilities in a timely manner in order to avoid the additional burden of interest and penalty.