3,00,947 or 96.5 per cent businesses in Madhya Pradesh sign up for GST

Indore: Nearly 96.5 per cent of the business establishments in Madhya Pradesh have enrolled for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) system, a senior official
said today.

However, a city-based traders' body claimed that the GST has not simplified the tax payment process. As per the latest figures, around 3,00,947 business
establishments out of 3,12,518 registered ones have got enrolled with the state's commercial tax department (CTD) for GST, the department's deputy commissioner (computer) Dharampal Sharma said.

The enrolment for GST had begun on November 15 last year, he said. Madhya Pradesh is among the states where a good number of businessmen have got themselves enrolled under the new tax regime, Sharma said.

Meanwhile, city-based Ahilya Chamber of Commerce and Industry's president Ramesh Khandelwal claimed that grocery, cloth, jewellery, grain and other business sectors have witnessed a dip in sales by 20 to 25 per cent with the
introduction of GST.

The businessmen, particularly in rural areas, were still confused about the different levies under the new tax regime, he said. "Earlier we had an impression that the GST will simplify the tax payment process, but unfortunately this has
not happened," Khandelwal said.

He demanded that the government simplify the GST system so that it serves the purpose for which it has been launched.