SINGLE TAX GST IS REAL SIMPLIFICATION OF TAX STRUCTURE
15092014
GOVERNMENT URGED TO INITIATE DIALOGUE WITH STAKEHOLDERS ON GST
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), apex body of the trading community has strongly called for early implementation of Goods & Services Tax (GST) in India but CAIT has also regretted that Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers deliberating on GST has so far not made public the proposed format of GST. The traders and other stakeholders have been kept aloof from the draft of proposed GST and no discussion in any form has been initiated so far by the Empowered Committee with stakeholders. The CAIT has also regretted that the Central Sales Tax which was scheduled to be abolished by year 2010 as per parliamentary declaration of the earlier Government is still in force which is further complicating the issue.
CAIT National President Mr. B.C.Bhartia and Secretary General Mr. Praveen Khandelwal in a joint statement issued here at New Delhi today made it clear that any format of GST containing double taxation shall not be acceptable to the business community. They further said that we are in support of GST taxation system but it should be based on basic fundamentals of GST including uniform tax law across the Country, uniform tax rates in different states, single tax to be administered by single authority and if such a GST is implemented in the Country, only then the taxation system will be simplified and rationalised.
The trade leaders said that wider taxation net and voluntary compliance is the basic fundamental of GST taxation system which will yield more revenue to the Government. This needs to be taken in mind by the Empowered Committee. They said that the Committee released a first discussion paper on GST in the year 2009 and since after that though long span of 5 years have passed but the Empowered Committee has neither spoken any word about the proposed format of GST nor it has taken into confidence the stakeholders including traders, who are real carriers of taxation system. As per media reports both State Governments and Central Government are busy in resolving issues of revenue sharing etc but on which model the revenue will be generated is yet to be decided, which is factually a wrong process. The Empowered Committee did not think it proper to even make an attempt to know the practical difficulties of the stakeholders and their subsequent views on proposed format of GST. It appears that the Committee is taking stakeholders granted on such an important issue.
Both Mr. Bhartia and Mr. Khandelwal said that CAIT and large number of Trade Associations across the Country have made many attempts to draw attention of the State Governments and the Empowered Committee on various disparities and anomalies in current VAT taxation system but no effort has been made by either to resolve such issues and whereas on the other hand various State Governments have added new sections in their respective VAT Act and by way of various notifications, have made the taxation system more complex.
They have urged both Central Government and the Empowered Committee to take stakeholders in confidence on proposed format of GST and its road map and an effort must be made to bring unanimity. Steps should be taken to resolve anomalies and disparities in VAT taxation system and the Union Government should abolish Central Sales Tax immediately. The trading community across the Country is keen to cooperate with the Government in early implementation of GST in India.
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Exhibition Czech Castles in the Currency Building Kolkata Sept 18 – Oct 31, 2014
15092014
Exhibition
Czech Castles in the Currency Building Kolkata
September 18 – October 31, 2014
Czech Castle architecture is an important part of the cultural heritage of the Czech Republic, which abounds in cultural treasures, among which castles and chateaux as historical residences of the social elite, former rulers, aristocracy, and religious institutions attract special attention.
For this reason, the Embassy of the Czech Republic decided to present the exhibition “Czech Castles”, which presents a selection of 37 most interesting castles and chateaux of Bohemia and Moravia, two of the historic areas that constitute the Czech state. The main criterion for the selection of the localities has been their historical significance as well as their architectural and artistic value. The exhibition depicts both historic and current images of the most exquisite and popular Czech Castles.
The exhibition “Czech Castles” is organised by the Embassy of the Czech Republic in New Delhi, in collaboration with the National Museum of the Czech Republic, Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the Archaeological Survey of India and the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
The exhibition „Czech Castles“ has been presented with huge success in several cities in India and other countries, for instance in Delhi (Red Fort), Bhutan (Royal Textile Academy in Thimphu), Nepal (Siddharta Art Gallery in Kathmandu) and in Leh-Ladakh (Leh Palace).
In Delhi, the Exhibition was officially inaugurated by H.E. Mr. Jan Kohout, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, H.E. Mr. Jiri Balvin, Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic, and H. E. Mrs. Chandresh Kumari Katoch, Minister of Culture of the Republic of India, at the iconic Red Fort – “Quarter Guard” Gallery in Delhi on November 7, 2013. The Exhibition stayed in the Red Fort until January 13, 2014, and was visited by 5-7 thousand visitors daily.
In Bhutan, the exhibition was officially inaugurated by Her Majesty the Queen Mother Sangay Choden Wangchuck, H.E. Mr. Tomas Dub, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, and H.E. Mr. Miloslav Stašek, Ambassador of the Czech Republic, at the Royal Textile Academy in Thimphu on February 13, 2014. The Exhibition stayed in Thimphu until March 23, 2014.
In Nepal, the exhibition was inaugurated by H.E. Mr. Bhim Prasad Acharya, Minister of Culture of Nepal, and H.E. Mr. Miloslav Stašek, Ambassador of the Czech Republic, at the prestigious Sidharta Art Gallery at Baber Mahal Revisited in Kathmandu on on April 9, 2014. The Exhibition stayed in Nepal until May 25, 2014.
In Ladakh, the inauguration of the “Czech Castles” Exhibition on June 13, 2014, in the touristic gem Leh Palace was graced by the presence of H.E. Mr. N.N. Vohra, Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, several Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir Government, members of the Ladakh Autonomous Development Council and by other numerous dignitaries.
This time, the exhibition „Czech Castles“ will attract the audience in the Currency Building in Kolkata from September 18, 2014, until October 31, 2014. The Exhibition will be inaugurated on September 18, 2014, at 18:30, in the Currency Building in Kolkata by H.E. Mr. Miloslav Stašek, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to India, H.E. Mr. Utsav Parekh, Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic, and Mr. R. S. Fonia, Joint Director General, Archaeological Survey of India, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, will inaugurate the exhibition. H.E. Mr. Keshari Nath Tripathi, Honorable Governor of West Bengal, will grace the inauguration as the Guest of Honor.
Subsequently, in the second half of the 2014, the Exhibition will tour further to Goa andMumbai.
The exhibition “Czech Castles” is organized within the greatest cultural project ever performed by the Embassy of the Czech Republic in India called “2014 – The Year of Czech Culture in India”, that encompasses broad promotion campaign to highlight the Czech Republic as a country of immensely rich history and culture and also highly attractive touristic destination in the heart of Europe. As part of “2014 – The Year of Czech Culture in India” project, the Embassy of the Czech Republic presents series of exhibitions, concerts, theatre shows, food festivals, film screenings and other cultural events in India.
Miloslav Stašek
Ambassador of the Czech Republic
For more information, please contact:
Mr. Vikas Sharma
Culture & Public Relations Officer
Embassy of the Czech Republic
50-M, Niti Marg, Chanakyapuri
New Delhi 110021
D : 91 11 24155260 or M : 91 8130893803
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