Dec 21, 2024 10:39 PM IST
In recent days, the opposition parties, especially the PDP, have been raising the issue that tax on handicrafts will be increased, especially the tax on shawls woven in Kashmir. of the famous crafts of Kashmir
J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday ruled out an increase in tax on shawls, especially the famous pashmina shawls woven in Kashmir.
J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, after attending a meeting on GST with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, ruled out tax on the shawls, especially pashmina shawls. (HT file)
In recent days, the opposition parties, especially the PDP, have been raising the issue that taxes on handicrafts will be increased, especially the tax on shawls woven in Kashmir. of the famous crafts of Kashmir.
Omar, after attending a meeting on GST with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, ruled out tax on the shawls, especially pashmina shawls.
“We were prepared to ensure that something like this would not happen, but fortunately the increase in the tax on scarves was not on the agenda. We will also ensure that this is not picked up in the future,” Omar told reporters shortly after the meeting.
Earlier, the Jammu and Kashmir government had assured to safeguard the interests of Kashmir’s famous handicrafts and handloom sector, which is directly linked to the livelihood of lakhs of artisans involved in the heritage craft.
Responding to certain reports appearing in a section of media regarding the proposed revision of tax slab in the upcoming GST Council meeting, a government spokesperson clarified that the UT government has already discussed the issue with the Union ministry and therein has requested to reduce the GST rate structure from the existing 12% to 5% uniformly, including scarves priced above ₹1,000, with the aim of reducing the tax burden on this craft industry and supporting marketability.
The spokesperson described crafts as a labor-intensive industry that accounts for 80% of the human workforce. He further stated that every effort will be made to revive the handicraft sector keeping in mind the intense competition from global markets and machine-made imitations.