Maintaining that Rs 380.78 crore VAT refund is still pending till date, Punjab Congress on Friday said that Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal was misleading industrial houses and investors on prevailing economic situation in Punjab especially giving fast clearance of VAT refund.
His allegations based on information sought under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Partap Singh Bajwa said that fake projections of facilities being given to industry in Punjab was one of the major reasons, no new investment is coming to Punjab and the existing industry and traders were fed up with the SAD-BJP Government.
“Sukhbir, during recently-held Progressive Punjab Investment Summit, had claimed that Punjab has started online refund of VAT claims and also promised special incentives to IT industry in refund of VAT,” pointed Bajwa.
He said that Sukhbir’s lies were nailed in information sought under the RTI Act as the information provided by the state Excise and Taxation Department has revealed that till December 31, 2013, VAT refund of Rs 380.78 crore were pending after 90 days of raising the claim.
“If this is the State of affairs in Excise and Taxation Department, how can Sukhbir Badal blame the opposition parties for painting gloomy picture of Punjab. Fake projections made by Sukhbir are doing the real damage to the state,” he added.
He said that at the end of financial year of 2006-2007, when SAD-BJP Government came to power, the total pending VAT refund was Rs 45.75 crores, after which, the figure of VAT refund started rising and at the end of 2009-10, VAT refund amount reached at Rs 264.25 crore. “It rose to Rs 380.78 crore by December 2013 and expected to go high by the end of current financial year,” he added.
Bajwa said that VAT collection increased manifold due to heavy taxes imposed on industry and trade during last three years. However, by holding funds of industry on account of VAT refund, Punjab government is forcing the industry to shut down. “Industry from Punjab is making an exodus due to lopsided industrial policy of SAD-BJP Government. VAT is just one issue otherwise no incentives have been given to existing units in the new industrial policy. The small scale industry is completely ignored,” he added.