GST has no impact on diwali decorations this year

Jaipur: GST has definitely impacted business across the county, however, Diwali decorations still seem as vibrant as ever in the city. The streets of Jaipur have been gearing up for the mega-festival for a while now and the decorations appear as good as every year. On the occasion of Dhanteras, the areas from MI road to Johari Bazar and from Chandpole Bazar to Tripoliya Bazar will be gloriously lit up. Even areas from Vaishali Nagar to Mansoravar are expected to be shining bright during the festival.

With the introduction of GST, one would have imagined that the decorations would not be as grand as before however that is clearly not the case. Trade institutions across the city have stated that the decorations are even better and bigger than the previous year. This in spite of the decoration costs increasing by 3% compared to last year.

In 2016, the service tax charged on the total bill was 15% which has now become 18%. This has clearly impacted the marked in a major way. The reason the decorations haven’t suffered is that this festival is a social event where different groups of people contribute hence the burden is shared.

Greater emphasis has been attached to lighting this time. The trade associations have stated that they want the streets to glow with the usage of led lights becoming a trend this Diwali. These associations haven’t reduced the decoration budget, however, will save little money due to the rising costs. The fact that the decorations haven’t been impacted will be appreciated by the travelers and locals alike.