Post GST, prices of sweets likely to increase, feel sellers

The price of sweets is likely to go up because of GST, the sweet -sellers apprehended at a press conference in the city on Monday.

The sweet-sellers alleged, unjustified GST was imposed on sweets of Bengal. The Centre has levied zero percent GST on milk, channa and paneer. But they arbitrarily imposed 5 percent GST on sweets. The imposition of GST will result in increase of the price of sweets. Some small traders will face huge losses and that might result in them shutting down their shops. "The main ingredients for making sweet are free from GST but the final product has come under GST which is very surprising to us," Rabindra Kumar Paul, the general secretary of Pashimbanga Mistanna Byabasayee Samity said at the press conference. The sweet-sellers further alleged that the GST council has listed items which will be levied 5 percent GST. There are all non-perishable goods except sweets of Bengal which is highly perishable items.

"The shelf life of sweets that we make is only 24 hours. The makers and sellers will incur huge losses after the imposition of GST. The sweets of other states have a shelf life of more than 24 hours and unlike them, sweets of Bengal are highly perishable," Paul said. Pashimbanga Mistanna Byabasayee Samity has written a letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Finance minister Amit Mitra, who is also the chairman of the empowered committee of state finance ministers. "We have sought help from the Chief Minister and the Finance minister. We know the whole country is going to face GST from July 1. But we are a facing tough situation here," Paul added. Most of the sweet-sellers are not adequately educated in the rural Bengal and it will be difficult for them to keep accounts or maintain the stock book. Therefore, imposition of GST will be unfair to them, the member of the Byabasayee Samity said.