Punjab hotel and restaurant association demands bar fee waiver for six months

The members demanded waiver of fee for running bars for atleast six months and permission to exchange expired beer without imposition of any fee or goods and services tax (GST).

The members of Punjab hotel and restaurant association met A Venu Prasad, Punjab financial commissioner (taxation), in Chandigarh on Friday and sought financial relief for the bar and hotel industry.

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The members demanded waiver of fee for running bars for atleast six months and permission to exchange expired beer without imposition of any fee or goods and services tax (GST).

Association president Amarvir Singh and chief advisor Amarjit Singh Talwar said that 30% of the bars in the state had already been closed permanently due to the ongoing crisis.

The bar owners have large stocks of beer, pertaining to last financial year, which has expired or is about to expire, as bars were closed since March 22.

“If the state government fails to provide relief to the sector then we will suffer losses in crores and 70-80% of bars and restaurants owners will be forced to shut their operations. This will lead to large scale unemployment,” said Amarvir Singh.

Amarvir Singh said that Prasad has assured them that the government would look into the demands and will soon provide some relief to the sector.