A 12% tax on bamboo mattings will hit the traditional bamboo sector badly, says the Angamaly-based Kerala State Bamboo Corporation. “Bamboo mattings form a chunk of the corporation sales, and there are thousands of artisans who are engaged in making bamboo mattings,” said K.J. Antony, Chairman of the Corporation.
Besides mattings, bamboo plywood will attract 18% tax under the GST regime.
Sources in the Kerala State Bamboo Mission said that cane and bamboo sector had been exempted from VAT for the past 12 years.
They also said that requests had been submitted to the State and Union ministries for including the bamboo sector in the zero per cent category under the new Goods and Services Tax regime.
