Confusion reigns supreme in Bhopal’s garment shops over GST. Shop owners lack the software. Most people are still confused whether prices will increase or decrease. Customers hesitate to enter shops. Shops are charging GST from five to 28 per cent. They charge five per cent tax on the product whose price is less or equal to Rs 1,000 and 12 per cent for products with a price of more than Rs 1000. This applies to both stitched and unstitched clothes. It means if the price of cotton and silk saris was Rs 600 and Rs 4,000 respectively, now it is Rs 630 and Rs 4,200. Tax on leather products is 28 per cent. The price on clothing is the same but GST is being charged while billing.

A Levi’s showroom has 40 per cent discount on jeans. So if the price of jeans is Rs 2,141, then after the discount, the customer pays Rs 2,284 due to GST. The showroom is selling fresh products on a fixed price without charging any tax. A manager of a showroom of designer suits and lehengas says he knows nothing about GST and heard of it only through the media. The tax is creating confusion among shopkeepers as well as people.