UNIFORM GST & ABOLISHING ANTI DUMPING DUTIES IN VISCOSE MAJOR AGENDA
The Textile Ministry has taken up the industry demand for implementing a uniform GST (Goods & Services Tax) structure for apparels and textiles to address the problem of higher duties on inputs and abolishing anti-dumping duties on viscose staple fibre (VSF) with the Finance Ministry for redressal in the forthcoming Budget.
In the last Budget, the Finance Ministry had removed anti-dumping duties on purified terephthalic acid (PTA), which is an important input in the manufacture of textile fibres and yarns.
The move hit domestic manufacturers of PTA such as Reliance Industries, JBF and Indian Oil but benefited thousands of fibre, yarn and garments producers who could source the input much cheaper.
In November 2020, the government withdrew ant-dumping duty on acrylic fibre to enable sweater and shawl manufacturers get the raw material at competitive prices.
Textile associations such as the Southern Indian Mills Association, Indian Texpreneurs Federation, and Northern India Textile Mills’ Association have given representations to the Centre seeking removal of anti-dumping duties on VSF to prevent stoppage of production across the value chain and save jobs from getting lost.
On the demand for implementation of a uniform GST structure for textiles, the official said the present rates were creating an inverted duty structure, where taxes on inputs are higher than that on output, and blocking working capital.
At present, man- made fibre is taxed at 18 per cent, spun yarn and filament yarn at 12 per cent and final output, including garments, at 5 per cent.
