Monthly physical hearing over tax appeals in Kolhapur soon

Kolhapur: The chief commissioner of CGST, central excise and customs (Pune Zone), Neeraj Kansal, has assured traders that hearings would now be conducted in Kolhapur once every month, addressing long-standing concerns over travel and compliance costs, Kolhapur Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) representatives said on Tuesday.Kansal visited the Central GST office in Kolhapur on Monday, where he interacted with representatives from various trader groups, including engineering and cloth merchant associations. CGST Kolhapur commissioner Sumit Kumar Yadav was also present.During the meeting, KCCI president Sanjay Shete presented several demands. Even traders highlighted that for businesses with annual turnover below Rs 1.5 crore, the cost of travelling to Pune for hearings often exceeded the penalties under dispute.KCCI secretary Ajit Kothari said Kansal responded positively to the concerns. “He told us that officials from the appeals department, at the commissioner, additional commissioner or joint commissioner level, will visit Kolhapur once a month to conduct physical hearings. Traders will not have to travel to Pune, though the appeal submission process will remain online,” Kothari said.According to the KCCI representatives, Kansal also assured traders that efforts would be made to ensure faster GST refunds within 15 days and immediate release of 90% provisional refunds for low-risk taxpayers. He further agreed to raise key policy demands at the GST Council, including a govt-backed insurance scheme for small traders, issues related to input tax credit and errors in e-way bill generation, they said.He also told the stakeholders that infrastructure work for setting up a bench of the GST Appeals Tribunal (GSTAT) in Pune was in its final stage. Once operational, the tribunal is expected to significantly ease the resolution of GST-related disputes for traders in the region.