Bipin Kumar Upadhaya the Central GST Commissioner states that the transport and hospitality industries are likely to be the factors that lead to the growth in the state’s tax base in the near future.
He said “The number of tax payers is still increasing on the back of more businesses coming under the tax net. GST evasion in the state is not high. It is below the national average thanks to the two-way measures of enforcement and compliance.”
He believes that Goa is still in its transition phase, due to the number of GST tax payers in the state being only 21000 of which 14000 are included in the state GST (SGST) and the remaining 7000 are under the central GST (CGST).
He argues that local businesses are now recognising the repercussions of not paying GST. Along with this the government provides amnesty schemes to people, that makes their transition to GST payers smooth and trouble free.
At the commemoration celebrating seven years of the unified tax held at the S.S Dempo College of Commerce and Economics, the GST commissioner said “Businesses in hospitality and transport for whom GST is applicable must register on the GSTN network.”
At the event Upadhaya said that the growth of the GST system has been reliable and consistent since its implementation. He also believes that the core of the tax lies in the GST Council meetings and the online GSTN system.
While he spoke to the students on the matter of the GST tax he argued that all the sectors and shareholders are equally responsible for the for the stability of GST within the state in the coming future and that the way forward was only towards growth.
