Glitches have delayed filing of returns under GST regime, admits government panel
The panel of ministers promised that about 80% of the problems will be solved by October-end.
A panel of ministers, set up to look into the technical difficulties faced by the Goods and Service Tax Network, has admitted that glitches have delayed payments under the new tax regime, IANS reported on Sunday.
“Technical glitches, procedural problems and absence of some forms on the network portal are causing delays in making payments and filing of returns by traders and dealers,” the group’s head and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said. The five-member group is expected to meet every fortnight to resolve the issues, he said after its first meeting in Bengaluru on Saturday.
“As the new tax regime is being implemented only since July 1, with filings, posting invoices, making payments and returns entirely online through the GST Network, there are bound to be glitches in the initial days, which we are trying to address on fast track,” he said. Efforts are being made to resolve 80% of the problems by October 30, Modi added.
The other members in the group are Chhattisgarh Commercial Taxes Minister Amar Agarwal, Karnataka Agriculture Minister Krishna Byregowda, Kerala Finance Minister TM Thomas Issac and Telangana Finance Minister Etela Rajendar.
Modi urged traders to file their returns at the earliest. He had said last minute filing would only add to the glitches as the portal will not be able to cope. “The GST portal is by far the world’s largest network, on which 22 crore invoices were filed over the last two months from across the country.”
Modi said the group of ministers has interacted with Infosys, which is providing the technical support to the government, and told it to sort out the problems on priority basis. More than 25 matters have been identified that need to be resolved, and timelines have been set for each. “Overall we are satisfied with the performance of GSTN and Infosys is doing its best to make it error free,” Modi was quoted as saying by PTI.