Disclosing this at the first meeting of the Standing Committee on Sales Tax matters constituted by the Punjab Government, here yesterday, Punjab's Financial Commissioner (Taxation) C.L. Bains, said the government was also taking steps to remove the shortage of "C" forms in the state by January 15, 1999.

The members of the Committee were also informed that to obviate the harassment of traders and industrialists by the checking staff of the Excise and Taxation Department, the government was also contemplating a scheme for setting up "Information Trade Centres" equipped with latest gadgets.

A number of suggestions were also put forth by the members of the committee to help bring about improvement in the working of the Excise and Taxation Department and also for rationalisation of Sales Tax structure in Punjab in the overall interest of revenue generation.

The Standing Committee was formed by the Punjab Government to look into the problems of trade and industry, at the instance of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which was represented at the first meeting by PHDCCI Punjab Committee chairman Amarjit Goyal and Chairman of HP Committee Satish Bagrodia.