SCCI raises key GST reforms at grievance panel meet

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, July 8: The Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry ( SCCI) placed a series of key concerns of the trade and industry before the GST Grievance Redressal Committee during its meeting in Ranchi, urging the government to simplify compliance, strengthen the GST portal and introduce several taxpayer-friendly reforms.
The meeting was chaired by Pradeep Saxena, Chief Commissioner, Central GST and Central Excise, Jharkhand-Bihar, and co-chaired by Amit Kumar. Senior GST officials, including Dharamjeet, Ranvijay Kumar and Subodh Kumar, also attended the meeting, while officials from GSTN joined virtually from New Delhi.
Representing the Chamber, president Manav Kedia and vice-president (Tax & Finance) Rajeev Agrawal submitted detailed suggestions seeking easier return downloads, more informative error messages, improved session management, better notification mechanisms for notices and orders, offline appeal utility on the GST Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT) portal, and an integrated online payment facility for pre-deposit and tribunal fees. The Chamber also urged that appeal fees be paid directly through the GSTAT portal instead of the existing BharatKosh platform to make the appellate process faster and more convenient.
The Chamber further recommended a one-time amnesty scheme for pending GST returns, safeguards against issuing ASMT-10 notices after completion of audits for the same period, and clear administrative guidelines to prevent routine conversion of cases under Section 73 to Section 74 without adequate grounds. It also stressed that ordinary audit cases lacking evidence of fraud, wilful misstatement or suppression should continue to be dealt with under Section 73 in accordance with the law.
Another major issue raised was the prolonged delay in disposal of GST registration cancellation applications. The Chamber pointed out that many applications remain pending for months before being rejected on the basis of avoidable documentation requirements. Responding positively, Amit Kumar assured the delegation that officers would be instructed to review and dispose of such pending cases in accordance with the law.
The Chamber also highlighted the difficulty faced by legal heirs in filing online GST refund claims after the death of a proprietor or authorised signatory. Pradeep Saxena acknowledged that the issue is being faced across the country and assured that it would be taken up at the appropriate level for a permanent resolution.
The officials assured the Chamber that all the suggestions would be examined at the appropriate level. The Chamber expressed confidence that their implementation would make the GST compliance framework simpler, more transparent, technology-driven and business-friendly, benefiting both taxpayers and the tax administration.