By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, APR 23, 2017: IN her latest weekly letter the CBEC Chairperson, Ms Vanaja Sarna, has put emphasis on the importance of GST Awareness Campaign (GAC). She has stated that the Directorate General of Systems is creating an online dashboard for GAC which will be linked with the departmental website. This dashboard will have date-wise and zone-wise details of the GAC events that have been held or are planned to be held.

This dashboard will also have a facility for departmental officers to upload the proposed location, venue, date and time of the GAC event being organized in their zone. Further, after the event is over, facility will also be given to the concerned field formations to upload a report of the event along with three or four photographs.

Recently, as part of the GST outreach activities, the Revenue Secretary had visited the States of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to review the preparedness of the North Eastern Region for GST. In a programme, aptly named GST- Manthan, he addressed about 1000 members of industry, trade and professional associations and explained in detail about the various issues concerning GST and elaborated on the efforts being made for a smooth transition for trade and industry.

Coming to the status of migration, the Chairperson notes that as on date 73% of the existing Central Excise registrants and 34% of the existing Service Tax registrants have migrated. The last date for completion of migration by April 30, 2017 is inching fast. Hence, all zonal Chief Commissioners have been advised to take necessary steps to assist all existing taxpayers in their migration to the new regime.