Pune: Team Sakal Times spoke to foodies visiting popular resturants and hotels in Camp and Fergusson College Road and asked them what they feel about the recently introduced Goods and Services Tax (GST) and how it will affect their eating out habits. This is what some of them had to say.
Mary Joseph, HR professional, visiting Marz-O-Rin in Camp
I sensed that there is some difference. I visit Marz-O-Rin regularly, and the rates of the chicken sandwiches have increased by Rs 12. I think that maybe they shouldn’t have any increase in taxes on food. Maybe GST can be there on other things, but not on food.
Rhea Sachdeva, BBA student visiting Marz-O-Rin in Camp
I am okay with paying a little extra money. To be honest, we are still trying to figure it out. Someone told us that if if you order food worth Rs 1,000, you have to pay Rs 1,300. So we don’t really know what the new rate has become.
Sitaram Sethji, owner of Coffee House in Camp
No one is really asking, because everyone knows the rates - 12 per cent for non-AC, 18 for AC. It is not really the hotel’s decision so there is not much issue.
Apoorva Gujrati, student, visiting Vaishali Restautant on FC Road
I usually have coffee after my study hours. Now I see the rate of the coffee has increased from Rs 50 to Rs 56. Paying so much on coffee is a big thing for students like me. At least the rates of the food items should not increase. The hike in other valuables like electronics and property can be understood, but what is the reason for putting a tax of 12 per cent and 18 per cent is not understood yet.
Shailendra Sarvaday, business owner, visiting Hotel George in Camp
We will only really understand the GST scenario after one month. Once we go to two-three places, we buy food, we go shopping, then we will really understand the change that has taken place. But in the restaurants, we didn’t see any effect because of rise in prices because of GST.
Ramesh Dhampalwar, software engineer, visiting Wadeshwar on FC Road.
We didn’t actually care about the bill that is paid by us. Since it is going to the government directly, it will be not be a problem to me. Only if this special arrangement was for the hoteliers’ business, we would have stopped coming to the restaurants.
Yash Jaiswal, Business Manager, visiting Hotel George in Camp
This ‘one nation, one tax’ is a great step. The food business will get in line, and there will be equality between the big and small restaurants as well. Before GST was applied, some restaurants would hike the price of the food items on the menu saying the transportation price is more due to the price hike in the petrol. Now with the effect of GST, this malpractice would not occur. Even the customer will have equality.
Ganesh Dhampalwar, software engineer, visiting Wadeshwar on FC Road.
The rates have been increased for every dish and it will affect the middle man, but if we look at the larger picture, this hike in tax is only going to benefit a smaller section of people. There is a famous saying which states ‘The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer’.
Aslam Khan, cashier at Hotel George in Camp
It is all going smoothly. Customers are not really asking much about the GST, except for the difference in price between AC and non-AC. The government took a new step and it must be for some good purpose. The only people who are worried are frauds who want to run away from the new tax rates.
