Micro, cottage industries write to Modi, Jaitley; seek 5 per cent GST

Coimbatore: Micro and Cottage Industries body of Coimbatore and Tirupur on Tuesday sent e-mails to the Prime Minister and Finance Minister, seeking reduction of GST rate from 18 per cent to five per cent for engineering job orders undertaken by them.

Led by KOTMA (Kovai Tirupur District Micro and Cottage Entrepreneurs Association), president, Ravikumar, industrial unit owners came to the post office near the Collectorate and sent e-mails and a postal cover to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

They also marked copies to revenue and finance secretary and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palanisamy, Ravikumar said.

Besides, the association also sought exemption from GST to those units which transact business below Rs 20 lakh, as against 50 per cent now, he said adding that the issue was presented to former union commerce minister Nirmala Seetharaman, who was here two months ago.

The members, who sent nearly 500 e-mails, plan to send more than 20,000 e-mails to the authorities in another 45 days.

Ravikumar said that nearly 50 per cent of 30,000 units stopped production due to the GST rates.