AMRITSAR SAHIB, Punjab—Finding no way of being exempt from GST (goods and services tax), the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhik Committee has now started making preparations to register themselves for the GST. SGPC officials have started consulting legal and finance experts in this concern.
Speaking to Sikh24, SGPC Secretary Dr. Roop Singh informed that they were completing documentation to obtain the GST registration number for the SGPC. He added that a sub-committee has been also constituted in this concern which would handle this aspect of activity. He further shared that the SGPC has already written a letter to the GST council seeking exemption on goods used for the langar (free community kitchen).
The SGPC had earlier also appealed the Union Finance Minister Mr. Arun Jaitley seeking exemption for the SGPC, but the Jaitley immediately rejected the SGPC’s request.
According to estimates, the SGPC is likely to bear an extra financial burden of 100 million rupees, for the purchase of desi ghee (butter), sugar and beans. Sources have informed that the GST rates for these items are 12%, 18% and 5% respectively and that the SGPC currently spends an average of Rupees 700 to 800 million on these products annually.
Guru Nanak kirpa Jio_/\_