‘WhatsApp number soon for complaints’

While admitting that there were issues in Goods and Services Tax (GST) and complaints that prices are being inflated on products, coming in, tax department officials said these were teething problems and that strict action would to taken against those overcharging.

“We are aware of the complaints of overpricing under GST. These are teething problems. We will allow a cooling off period for traders to settle down under the GST regime. Post that period, we will take strict action against cases of overpricing,” Rajeev Kumar, Additional Commissioner-North, GST Commissionerate Chennai, told The Hindu on the sidelines of the GST seminar by the Consumers Association of India.

He said the department will soon come out with a WhatsApp number where consumers can send the instances of overpricing along with the bill.

“We will be able to spot the instances of overpricing and whether GST has been calculated properly.

With the anti-profiteering clause kicking in, people overcharging will be penalised. Our first step would be to educate consumers,” Mr. Kumar added. He pointed out that once the tax bouncy increased there was a case for lowering rates of GST.

Chakravarthi, Assistant Commissioner, GST Commissionerate, said a key challenge had been creating awareness.

A. Divyanathan, Controller of Legal Metrology, Tamil Nadu, pointed out that people should be aware of MRP and tax calculation.

Consumers can now register complains on MRP through the Legal Metrology Complaint Tracking System (LMCTS) app and actions would be taken, he added.