Traders urge State to make changesin new ST regime

Traders urge State to make changesin new ST regime
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

PUNE, JAN 12: The action committee representing various trade associations in the State on Wednesday demanded implementation of the new sales tax regime from April 1, only after removing the existing lacunae.

The State-wide bandh called by the Maharashtra Rajya Vyapari Udyojak Kriti Samiti, met with a 100 per cent response with all wholesale suppliers of food-grains, pulses, edible oils, onions, potatoes, fruits and vegetable markets and timber merchants pulling down their shutters. The action committee comprises representatives of the Poona Merchants Chamber, Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, Federation of Associations of Maharashtra (FAM) and the Federation of Trade Associations of Pune.

Traders were not very satisfied at the Government's decision to exempt 13 essential commodities from the Sales Tax hike which came into effect in the State from January 1, this year since 44 other items are still on the tax hike list. Merchant organsiations too demanded tax reduction on some of the items. Around 1,500 representatives of 1,200 trade organisations participated in the State-level meet held at the Nisarg Mangal Karyalaya here to decide the future action plan in wake of the uniform Sales Tax imposed by the State Government.

President of the Poona Merchants Chamber, Rajesh Fulfagar, FAM vice president Popatlal Oswal, president of the Maharashtra Chamber Khushalbhai Poddar, FAM president Mohan Gurnani, vice-president advocate B C Joshi, Pradesh Sanghatan Mantri of the Grahak Panchayat Suryakant Pathak and Sangli mayor Suresh Patil expressed views on the Sales Tax hike. A majority of the speakers condemned the haste in which the Government took the hike decision without taking them into confidence.