Fish meal units to go on strike from today

Mangaluru: Fish meal business is already facing trouble. In such a situation, the GST department is threatening to book a cheating case against the fish meal producers in connection to failure to pay tax. Already, the bank accounts of some businessmen has been frozen. In protest to this, the fish meal producers have decided to stop fish meal production from Aug 1^st for an indefinite period, informed former minister Pramod Madhwaraj speaking at a press conference at the press club in the city.

Earlier, fish meal was exempted from central excise and VAT taxes throughout India. Now that GST has been introduced, threats are being given to get the tax paid. Sine 2 years, the total tax has become crores together. Bank accounts have been frozen thereby causing direct problem to the business, accuse the businessmen.

Tax on fish oil increased

Even before the implementation of GST, fish oil producers used to pay a tax of 5%. With the introduction of GST, the tax has been increased to 12%. The producers are paying the tax. Fish meal producers are announcing their sale reports every month. Since July 1^st, 2017, pressure is being put for the paying of fish meal tax at the rate of 5%.

It is wrong to demand tax from the industries with retrospective effect as they have not collected the tax from the consumers since July 1^st 2017. Paying the tax now in retrospective effect will only burden the industries. The GST department is forcing the industries to pay tax wit retrospective effect.

The Union government has decided to levy the tax even after the State government sent notes to the GST Council to exempt fish meal from GST.

All India Fish Meal and Oil Manufacturers and Merchants Association president Khader HK said, the businessmen have not collected any tax from the consumers.