Common service centres to function as 'GST Suvidha Providers'

Aiming to facilitate implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime across the country, Union Minister of Law & Justice, and Electronics & Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday inaugurated a workshop in Delhi on common service centres (CSC) as 'GST Suvidha Provider', an official said.

The CSCs will help in merchants' registration, filing returns and supporting them in fulfilling various requirements under GST.

They will mobilise, conduct training and create advocacy of GST implementation across the country, an official statement said.

Prasad said, "GST means one nation, one tax. GST Suvidha Provider service that is being rolled out today is a big opportunity for village-level entrepreneurs (VLE)."

He hoped that the VLEs would rise to the occasion and help the government in reaching out to the merchants.

"CSC is a big army in this country," he said, adding: "I always say that companies should use the vast network of CSCs. In the Digital Era, the role of CSCs is tremendous. Today, two crore people have downloaded BHIM App. CSCs should make it popular in their community. In the digital economy, the demand of CSCs' services will become tremendous. Every VLE should train one woman from tribal and backward communities."

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said after the GST Council meet that four pieces of supporting legislation had been cleared by the council so far – the Central GST, Integrated GST, Union Territories GST, and Compensation laws.

“The State GST laws will simultaneously go to State cabinets and their legislatures. We are hoping that all the States will get their laws cleared by Assemblies expeditiously. The government will try and get the supporting laws passed by Parliament in this session itself.”

This move will pave the way for a unified system of taxation under the GST regime from July 1 this year.