AWARENESS SEMINARS ACROSS CRAFT CLUSTERS ON GOODS AND SERVICES TAX [ GST ]– AN INITIATIVE TO MAKE HANDICRAFTS SECTOR GST REGIME READY
EPCH has been performing multifarious activities to ensure the overall growth of handicrafts. These activities cover areas like developing awareness amongst producers and exporters for increasing exports, providing support for product development, technological upgradation, design development, creation of infrastructure at different craft clusters.
In this direction, from time to time, EPCH organizes various kinds of workshops and seminars making the member exporters aware about latest development in the international trade environment pertaining to designs, technology upgradation, international compliances, various schemes and notification issued by the Govt. of India and many more. The Endeavour of EPCH has been to improve excellence in production of handicrafts items.
Goods and Services Tax (GST) is one of the biggest taxation reforms in India and is a comprehensive tax levy on manufacture, sale and consumption of goods and services at a National level. GST is all set to integrate the state economies and boost overall Growth. Amalgamating several Central and State taxes into a single tax would help mitigate cascading or double taxation, facilitating a common national market.
The excise duty on handicrafts products was exempted and under VAT laws of various states , handicrafts are placed in Schedule 1 which covers the exempted goods. Through the latest notification on GST, the GST rates have been announced at 4 digit HS code level and most of the handicrafts items falls under 12%,18% & 28% GST rates, however handicrafts items are classified at 8 digit level . The Council in its representation has requested for all artisans to be completely exempted from GST as was in the past, so that onus of paying GST under reverse charge is not applicable on the exporters. The Council had specifically requested for the relaxation in provision of stock in hand for handicrafts exporters. The calculation of duty drawback rates under the new GST regime to be simplified has also been requested.
GST which is to be introduced across the country by 1st July 2017 will affect each and every sector of the economy. In order to educate the exporters about the implication of the GST on handicrafts sector and also how to migrate to the new tax regime, the council is holding a series of seminars in various craft clusters like Jaipur, Jodhpur, Chennai, New Delhi, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Agra.
Today EPCH in association with Handicrafts Exporters Association organized the awareness seminar in Delhi on “Goods & Services Tax (GST)- Way Forward. Shri Ravi Bhatia and his team from M/s. Bhatia & Bhatia Chartered Accountants were the key speakers on the occasion. Shri Rakesh Kumar, Executive Director- EPCH, Shri C.R. Rai, Chairman, Handicraft Exporters Association, Shri Sagar Mehta, Vice Chairman – EPCH and other members of the Committee of Administration of EPCH were also present. The speaker Shri Ravi Bhatia informed the participants about the procedure and documentation for GST and addressed various queries raised by the exporters on the matter which included stock in hand, job work, samples for export, intermediary services and many other.
Introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a significant step in the reform of indirect taxation in India, said Shri Rakesh Kumar, Executive Director. He further said, the objective of these seminars is to clarify the apprehensions of the handicraft exporters about implications of GST.
