Trade commission chief promises swift resolution of traders’ issues

Punjab Trade Commission, Excise and Taxation Department Chairman Anil Thakur has assured that the state government is committed to addressing the concerns of traders across Punjab on a priority basis. He emphasised that open dialogue is ongoing with trader associations throughout the state to better understand and resolve their longstanding issues.

Thakur was speaking during a key meeting held at the District Administrative Complex in Kapurthala, where representatives from various business associations and trade organisations gathered to discuss taxation reforms, the One-Time Settlement (OTS) scheme and a range of business-related challenges.

During the interaction, several concerns raised by traders were resolved on the spot with the assistance of departmental officers. For more complex and pending issues, Thakur promised to escalate matters to the GST Council for resolution.

Addressing a major demand from the trading community, Thakur revealed that a formal recommendation has already been submitted to the Punjab Finance Minister for implementing an OTS scheme to settle pending tax dues from the first quarter of the financial year 2017–18. He added that the scheme is expected to be rolled out soon.

Thakur also issued a stern warning against bringing goods into Punjab without proper billing, stating that strict action will be taken against violators. He directed departmental officials to raise maximum awareness about the state government’s insurance scheme, which offers coverage of up to Rs 10 lakh for registered traders.

Further, he appealed to all business owners to cooperate with tax compliance efforts to help strengthen the state’s revenue system. The meeting was also attended by Aam Aadmi Party’s constituency in-charge Advocate Karambeer Singh Chandi and Science and Technology Board Member Kanwar Iqbal Singh. Senior tax officials Mukti Gupta, Bhupinder Singh, State Tax Officer Sukhjeet Singh, ETO Sukhjeet Singh Chahal, and various representatives from local trade bodies were also present.

Jalandhar