GST Reforms to Provide Major Relief to Industry and Trade: Deepak Kumar Bajaj
Welcomes recommendations to remove arrest provisions and raise prosecution threshold to ₹5 crore
Varanasi: The Uttar Pradesh Roller Flour Millers Association (UPRFMA) has welcomed the key recommendations made at the 57th meeting of the GST Council, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, aimed at benefiting industry and trade.
Deepak Kumar Bajaj, President of UPRFMA and National General Secretary of the Indian Industries Association (IIA), said the proposed reforms were an important step towards making the GST system simpler, more transparent, practical and industry-friendly.
Welcoming the recommendations to remove arrest-related provisions under GST and increase the monetary threshold for prosecution from ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore, Bajaj said the measures would strengthen the confidence of honest businesspeople and reduce unnecessary fear of legal action.
He said traders and industrialists were important pillars of the country’s economy, employment generation and revenue growth. The objective of the tax system should not be limited to punitive action but should also encourage voluntary compliance and create a positive business environment.
The association also welcomed recommendations to reduce the maximum general penalty from ₹25,000 to ₹10,000, avoid issuing show-cause notices for tax amounts below ₹10,000, simplify input tax credit and refund procedures, and improve the e-way bill system and goods transportation arrangements.
Bajaj said the roller flour milling and food processing industries depended heavily on raw material procurement, wheat transportation, machinery investment, finished product distribution and working capital. Timely refunds, simplified GST compliance and the removal of unnecessary barriers to inter-state transportation would directly benefit the sector.
He pointed out that Uttar Pradesh is among India’s major wheat-producing states and has a large number of operational roller flour mills. These industries are closely linked with farmers, transport businesses and workers, as well as biscuit, bread, bakery and other food processing units.
The association expressed its gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for their efforts towards introducing reforms aimed at creating a more business-friendly tax environment.