Chandigarh, Oct 30 More than 200 taxpayers, industry representatives and tax professionals on Friday interacted with the top leadership of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) at an outreach programme here to discuss the implementation of reforms recommended by the 57th GST Council.
The programme was held under the aegis of CBIC Chairman Vivek Chaturvedi and CBIC Member Sanjay Mangal in the presence of Shubh Chintan, Chief Commissioner, CGST Chandigarh Zone, an official statement said.
Excise and Taxation Commissioners of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh also participated in the programme, which brought together various stakeholders, including taxpayers, tax professionals and representatives of trade bodies.
The interaction provided a platform for stakeholders from trade and industry to engage with the senior-most leadership of the CBIC, understand the recommendations of the 57th GST Council and raise concerns regarding their implementation, the statement said.
More than 200 participants, including taxpayers, representatives of industrial bodies and trade associations, tax professionals and other stakeholders, put forward their queries, which were suitably answered by the CBIC chairman and member during an exclusive interactive session.
The interaction was aimed at fostering constructive dialogue between the tax administration and the taxpayer community and facilitating a better understanding of the GST-related changes and measures recommended by the council, it said.
The outreach programme reflects the Finance Ministry’s continued emphasis on stakeholder engagement, transparency and taxpayer facilitation, the statement added.
Such interactions provide an important avenue for constructive dialogue with taxpayers, trade associations and tax professionals, while strengthening coordination between the tax administration and the business community, it said.
The 57th GST Council, at its meeting on October 8, approved a sweeping overhaul of tax administration, including removing GST officers’ power to arrest taxpayers, raising the threshold for criminal prosecution to Rs 5 crore and providing a faster three-day refund for most claims.
The council also approved an easier registration process for small suppliers seeking to sell goods through e-commerce platforms. Other measures include a simplified procedure for making changes to GST registration, a reduction in penalties and the setting up of a committee of officials to address the transition towards invoice matching for input tax credit claims.
Addressing reporters after the 57th GST Council meeting, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said the process reforms under GST 2.0 were driven by the principle of trust and formed part of the ‘Reform Express’ under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The process reforms are scheduled to be implemented from April 1, 2027.
(PTI News)
