Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday urged Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to immediately release VAT (value added tax) refunds of Rs 800 crore, besides demanding to bring in the one-time settlement (OTS) policy to clear the backlog while ending the corruption and harassment of the business community.
The demand was made by AAP’s Sunam MLA Aman Arora on Sunday by writing a letter to the Chief Minister. In his letter, he urged the Chief Minister to resolve the long-delayed issue of refund of VAT.
Arora said that despite repeated promises made by the Chief Minister and the Finance Minister Manpreet Badal, long delayed issue of refund of VAT has not been resolved due to which business and trading community of the State is feeling cheated and ditched.
In his letter, he mentioned that though GST was implemented two years back, still VAT refund amounting to more than Rs 800 crores is still lying pending which needs to be refunded immediately as it is a double whammy for the business community.
“On one hand they are paying GST to the Government failing which hefty penalties are imposed on them for any delay or lapse, and on the other hand, the Government is sitting on their VAT refunds since years for no reason and instead of being paid for the delay, the businessmen are humiliated and harassed by the Government machinery,” he pointed.
Arora said that as per VAT Act, the Government is bound to refund within 60 days failing which it has to pay interest to the assessee, which is not been followed and instead massive corruption is happening in the Government departments.
To give justice to the business and trader community, Arora requested the Chief Minister to intervene in the matter at the earliest to resolve the issue in order to save dwindling business atmosphere of the State.
“No economy can survive or flourish till its business community doesn't prosper. So, the Government should come out with One Time Settlement policy on lines of 2003 policy to give relief to thousands of businessmen,” he said.