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Post-GST, operational efficiency of produce trucks up by 550km per day
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Friday, 28 July, 2017, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, New Delhi
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Since the implementation of Goods and Service Tax (GST), the operational efficiency of trucks carrying agricultural and horticultural produce stored in various cold storage houses from the beginning to the end point has increased to the extent of 550km a day.
This was stated by Pawanexh Kohli, chief executive officer, National Centre for Cold-chain Development (NCCD), and chief advisor, department of agriculture, cooperation and farmers’ welfare, at the National Conclave on Cold Chain Development, held under the aegis of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in New Delhi recently.
He added that most of the inter- and intra-state barriers had collapsed post-GST implementation.
Kohli said that the new taxation had benefited the logistics sector the most, and stated that since a vast majority of agricultural and horticultural items were GST-exempt, its ramifications on the cold chain sector so far had been quite positive, barring on a few fronts. He added that his department was seeking their redressal with the department of finance.
He added that the running efficiency of trucks had gone up by an average of 250km a day post-GST. Prior to the implementation of the levy, it used to be about 300km a day, on account of the fact that the barriers relating to inter- and intra-state trade had largely disappeared since July 1, 2017.
“The logistics sector has been a beneficiary of GST implementation to a large extent, but on account of higher service tax on certain segments, the logistic costs have gone up. The tax has also gone up considerably on equipment and other auxiliaries that go into making of cold chains and cold storages,” said the NCCD chief.
“And since NCCD received certain inputs on these fronts, the department of agriculture is undertaking an exercise to seek their redressal with department of finance and other stakeholders, so that the surfacing anomalies are corrected,” he added.
R S Bedi, chairman, committee on logistics management, PHD Chamber, delivered the welcome remarks. He laid emphasis on the further expansion of cold storages, adding that these needed to be modernised with increased capacities, as the growth of agriculture and horticulture was also dependent on these facilities to equip farmers with gains that are commensurate with their labour. The conclave was moderated by Ranjeet Mehta, director, PHD Chamber.
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