After blaming the Central Government for technical glitches in the Goods and Services Tax ( GST ) regime, the Bombay High Court today asked the Government to wake up and take measures to address the issues of the taxpayers.
The Court further gave a deadline of 24th April 2018 to rectify its flaws in implementing the new tax regime.
A bench of Justices SC Dharamadhikari and PD Naik was hearing a petition filed by Abicor and Benzel Technoweld Pvt Ltd, a company engaged in the manufacture of robotic and automation equipment.
The bench also said that the authorities must also ensure that all infrastructure related to implementation of the GST regime was also put in place by the above deadline to ensure that the citizens did not face any problems.
“We trust that the Central and state authorities will resolve all outstanding and pending problems being faced by citizens while following the provisions of the GST regime.
“The authorities must create necessary infrastructure and make the new system fully operational by the next date of hearing (April 24),” the bench said.
When the petitioner approached the Court in February, the Court had expressed that the new tax regime is not tax-friendly.
Before the High Court, the petitioner submitted that it is the respondents who have decided to put in place an automated and electronic system of accepting tax returns based on self-assessment. They said that Electronic Way Bills Rules have yet to be implemented and therefore, without access to the online profile, the petitioner cannot generate E-way bills.
Today, Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh told the bench that the GST Commissioners from the state and Centre had conducted a joint meeting with the petitioner company on March 1 this year and had resolved the petitioner’s grievances.
Singh also submitted a report detailing the steps taken by the state authorities so far to resolve problems related to GST.
At previous hearing, the bench had observed that it had come across several other petitions in different courts with grievances against GST.
The bench had also hoped the Union government would “wake up” and take corrective measures.
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