ACAUT also made a fervent appeal to all business owners especially those dealing with GST items to proportionately bring down the prices during this festive season as a token of ceasing collections by all the local municipal bodies.
By Imna Longchar, TFM Nagaland Correspondent
Nagaland based Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT), on Thursday, has lauded the Nagaland government on its decision to ban the collection of taxes and fees under the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
According to ACAUT’s Media Cell, it reacted to November 16, 2021, notification No.MA-23/2020 (Pt.II) issued by the Municipal Affairs department based on the meeting held on September 13 last under
the chairmanship of Nagaland’s Deputy Chief Minister, Y Patton.
Through the Nagaland government’s notification, it read that collection of any kind of taxes/fees on items/goods that comes under Goods and Services Tax (GST) has been immediately stopped. It also mentioned that until the notification came into effect, there was an overlapping of “taxes” by the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) on GST items that had no “locus standi” since the enactment of GST all over the country in the year 2017.
Noting this “lacuna” as one of the many reasons, three civic leaders, Tia Longchar, an official from ACAUT, Vekhosayi Nyekha, Convener, Public Action Committee (PAC), Dimapur, and Akum Jamir, of Business
Association of Nagas (BAN) have filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) No. 19 of 2020 which is still pending before the Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench.
ACAUT’s Media Cell also mentioned that a number of hearings were conducted and recently Commissioner, Central Goods and Services Tax, Dimapur, was also reportedly impeded as one of the respondents in the
case, who without delaying the matter immediately filed his affidavit in response to the petition.
Extending gratitude advocate Neiteo Koza, who have consented to fight this important PIL for the welfare of the citizens, ACAUT has also made its fervent appeal to all business owners especially those dealing with GST items to proportionately bring down the prices during this festive season as a token of ceasing collections by all the local municipal bodies.