Pramod Sawant promises smooth GST 2.0 rollout, urges industry to pass on benefits to citizens

Panaji: Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Monday assured Goa’s business community that state govt would address bottlenecks and ensure a smooth rollout of the new GST rate structure, set to take effect from Sep 22.

Speaking at an interactive session organised by the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Sawant said efforts are being made to bring transparency, reduce red-tapism, and provide stability for long-term business planning.“What is most important is for the benefits to be passed on to the citizens. My appeal to the industry is to ensure that relief under GST 2.0 reaches the common man,” Sawant told industry representatives.

Stating that startups, tourism sector businesses, and export-oriented industries stand to gain the most, Sawant said that business-friendly initiatives will ensure that the gains are passed on to the private sector.“Goa govt commits to transparency in the system and to reduce red-tapism. Our GST office has started working on it and we will ensure quick redressal of grievances, transparency, and business-friendly initiatives.

If there is any relief expected from govt side, then please suggest. We are ready for that,” Sawant said.Commissioner of state taxes Sarpreet Singh Gill added that efforts were under way to review the tax threshold for hotels, with the state willing to raise the current limit of Rs 7,500 per night for the 5% GST slab.Sawant acknowledged that states may initially see a dip in revenue but stressed that this short-term impact was worth the long-term gains.

“Even if revenue declines, we are passing on that benefit to the people,” he said. To ease compliance, Sawant announced that GST registration in Goa has been simplified and will now be completed within three days. He also said that 90% of export duty refunds would be cleared quickly, addressing a long-standing grievance where claims were delayed for over a year.Highlighting sector-specific gains, Sawant said medicines and medical care would become cheaper, while exporters, startups, and the tourism industry would benefit from reduced taxation and simplified procedures. He assured businesses that the GST office had already begun working on grievance redressal mechanisms to ensure transparency and faster resolutions.