SRINAGAR, Dec 8: Apni Party President Altaf Bukhari expressed concern over the proposed GST (Goods and Services Tax) hike of up to 28 percent on textiles and said it would adversely impact the traditional industries of Kashmiri shawls.
“The massive hike would adversely impact the traditional industries of Kashmiri shawls, crewel, and other traditional textiles”, Bukhari said in a statement here on Sunday.
The Group of Ministers (GoM) in its recent meeting had proposed the hike in GST on textiles and slated for consideration during the 55th meeting of the council scheduled for December 21.
Bukhari said “The proposed GST hike of up to 28 percent on textiles, if implemented, would severely impact the livelihoods of poor artisans, particularly those involved in weaving shawls, crewel, and other traditional textiles in the Kashmir Valley
He urged the Union Government not to approve this proposal in the larger interest of the artisan community.
Bukhari claimed to have received a representation from the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), urging him to take up the matter with the central government.
In its representation, “the KCCI stated that the GoM has proposed a significant increase in the GST rate on textiles and items priced between Rs 1,500 and Rs 10,000 would be taxed at 18 percent, while textiles priced above Rs 10,000 would fall under the highest GST slab of 28 percent”.
KCCI has said this hike would not only impose a financial burden but also deliver a devastating blow to an already fragile economic ecosystem.
The prestigious business organisation said that Kashmir’s traditional textile items provide direct and indirect employment to over 2.5 lakh artisans, with many of them being women and individuals from marginalized communities.
“If the GST rate is increased the resultant rise in product price will render these goods unaffordable to a large section of consumers, both domestic and international” the KCCi has said and added, “This will drastically reduce demand, directly affecting production and sales”.
“The ensuing slowdown in the industry will force many artisans into unemployment, undermining years of effort to promote and sustain the sector,” the KCCI representation reads.
