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She
held the Opposition parties responsible for instigating
traders against VAT for their vested interest. The new tax
regime has been enforced in the state from today even as
the traders have called for a day-long state bandh to
protest the implementation of VAT. The truckers
association had called off their indefinite strike
following the setting up of a four-member committee to
deal with their problem.
“With
the introduction of VAT and bringing the tax structure of
UP on a par with other states, illegal transportation of
goods will be curbed and all, including the common public,
farmers, industries and traders will be benefited,” she
said and called upon manufacturers and traders to pass on
the benefit of the tax reduction to the consumers.
The
chief minister said keeping in view the needs of the
common man, tax rate on 91 items has been reduced in VAT.
While the tax rates of 75 articles remain unchanged, those
of 20 articles have been increased but the option of
reconsidering this rate is still open. With the new
system, now 15 rates of trade tax have been reduced to
four.
Criticising
the Opposition parties for raking the issue of VA T
through traders, she questioned that how could the
Congress and the BJP oppose the new tax regime, when their
governments in Delhi, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and
Rajasthan have implemented it in the past.
The
chief minister said commercial tax comprises about 58 per
cent of the total revenue of the state and 10 per cent
growth rate has been fixed for the state under the 11th
Five-Year Plan, for which heavy capital was required. This
required implementation of a tax system having less rates
of taxes and capable of collecting more tax revenue.
Without
taking any name, she said the previous government
succumbed to the pressure of few selfish elements and
failed to implement VAT, which adversely affected
industrialisation in the state, besides failing to curb
tax evasion. UP is the last state to implement the VAT,
which was introduced in the country from April, 2005.
Source
: The Business Standard, India, dated 02/01/2008
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