The Legal Metrology Department will provide a breather to trade and business to comply with the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime. “No inspections related to GST compliance or overpricing were held on Wednesday,” said sources in the Legal Metrology Department, Central Zone.
An official said that more time would be given before the next round of inspections. Checks were conducted on Tuesday in different parts of Kochi city and its suburbs as part of the GST compliance drive. Inspections were mostly held at retail outlets selling essential commodities to ensure that there was no overpricing in the market.
The department had also found malpractices in 18 retail outlets in Kochi, Palakkad, Idukki and Palakkad . Cases were registered in Aluva and Paravur.
Kerala Electrical Traders’ Association has said that the tax rates under the new regime on various electrical products published in newspapers would mislead the common man and place the traders in poor light before their customers.
Taxes committee convener of the association T.G. Krishnakumar said here that there was confusion on various fronts.
There are more than one tax rate on goods falling under the same HSN (Harmonised System of Nomenclature) Code.
Meanwhile, trade and business in Kochi continued to be dull because of the uncertainties prevailing over new price tags and tax rates to be imposed. It will take about six months for the situation to normalise, said the general secretary of Kerala Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce, Mohammed Sageer, here on Wednesday.