19 Sep 2019  |   06:20am IST

Tourism stakeholders to meet State Finance Mins to reduce GST

Tourism stakeholders to meet State Finance Mins to reduce GST

Team Herald

PANJIM: As the annual Goods & Services Tax (GST) Council meeting begins on Thursday, the tourism stakeholders have decided to meet finance ministers from each State seeking their support to propose the Centre to reduce the tax on room tariffs in a bid to boost arrivals and stay period of the vacationers. Unfortunately, India does not stand in the list of 20 countries offering least or no GST on hotel stay. 

TTAG President Savio Messias, past President Francisco Braganca and other hoteliers had earlier this month submitted a joint representation to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Minister Mauvin Godinho demanding reducing GST from 28 per cent to 12 per cent. Sawant had thereafter told reporters that he will personally discuss the matter with the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during the meeting of the ministers on September 20. 

The TTAG delegation also met the Union Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel and submitted a representation which included demands like reduction in GST, problems faced by charter operators in obtaining landing slots and operational issues at the airport and CRZ relaxation from 200 metres to 100. 

The TTAG has further suggested that government should hold an international travel mart to be organized every year on a rotational basis at different tourist States in the country instead of individual States hosting travel marts. Messias said that the minister gave a patient hearing and promised to look into the issues.

The delegation, which also comprised members such as Sunder Advani, Jack Sukija and Sairaj Dhond, thanked the minister for decision to reduce visa fees. 

"We are in talks with many States to jointly propose the Central government to reduce GST on hotel accommodation. During the two-day GST Council meeting when finance ministers from the other States would attend. We will make individual presentation to each seeking their support," said Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) President Savio Messias told Herald.

IDhar UDHAR

Idhar Udhar