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Ludhiana: Hospitality industry seeks waiver on bar excise fee
Members of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Punjab submitted a memorandum regarding the same with A Venu Prasad, financial commissioner taxation in Chandigarh on Monday
Ruing losses due to closure of bars and restaurants due to imposition of lockdown and curfew restrictions amid the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic, the hospitality sector has sought bar excise fee waiver for six months from the state government.
Members of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Punjab submitted a memorandum regarding the same with A Venu Prasad, financial commissioner taxation, in Chandigarh on Monday.
The industry representatives rued that due to the lockdown restrictions imposed by the government, the bar owners were ordered to shut operations before the commencement of the current financial year (from April), and the business was affected for five months. Many hotels and restaurants are on the verge of closure due to the same, they added.
Amarvir Singh, president of the association, said as the bars remained shut for around five months, the government should not charge an excise fee for that period.
“The government had provided some relief to the sector by waiving off the fee for six months last year. It should also waive off the fee for the next six months to help revive the sector, which was the worst affected due to the imposition of the lockdown. The advance fee submitted by the owners should be refunded,” said Singh.
