DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 1: The Business Association of Nagas (BAN) has appealed to the State Government to curb all illegal taxation, particularly at check gates.
“The root cause of all the commotion – from economic blockade by truckers to price rise of commodities is illegal taxation. Illegal taxation has many forms but the point of concern here is taxation at check gates,” said BAN president Vitho Zao and general secretary Dr Lanugsangla Tzudir in a press release.
“The truckers have been bogged down by tax collection at check gates and they have said ‘enough is enough’ – and rightly so. No right thinking person would want to be taxed multiple times at various locations,” it said.
Keeping in mind GST norms, BAN wondered if collection of some of these taxes is legal. Moreover, a major part of these collections do not reach the State’s exchequer, it said.
BAN also opined that goods-carrying vehicles stopped at various points not only encourage multiple taxations for the same commodity but also make it convenient for various unscrupulous individuals and organizations to levy taxes.
“In the midst of all these the public will ultimately pay the price once the cost of commodities goes up,” it said.
Lamenting that the Government of the day – more often than not – has the tendency to react once a matter reaches boiling point, BAN hoped the matter does not become “too hot for the state Government to handle.”
