To lodge strong protest against Walmart Flipkart deal and FDI in e commerce and retail trade and to demand the Government to stop the deal, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has called for a Bharat Trade Bandh on 28th September,2018 which has evoked tremendous response from all over the Country.
CAIT National President & Secretary General Mr. Praveen Khandelwal said that more than 40 thousand Trade Associations and Federations across Country will be participating in the Bandh whereas about 7 crore small businesses all over the Country will down their shutters observing Bharat Trade Bandh. Beside Swadeshi Jagran Manch, other retail sectors like transport, small Industries, Farmers, Hawkers, Consumers and others have also given their support to Trade Bandh. They said that Walmart Flipkart deal is nothing but return of an East India Company once again in the Country.
Mr. Bhartia and Mr. Khandelwal today released a Traders Charter which has demanded immediate stoppage on the Walmart deal and no FDI in e commerce or retail trade of the Country. The Charter has further demanded only two tax slabs under GST and no financial penalty should exceed Rs.10 thousand and the provision of Jail should be removed. It has also demanded an accidental insurance for every GST registered trader similar to already applicable in Uttar Pradesh. The traders should be given status of Tax Collector and should be entitled for pension. The Charter has also demanded that following the principle of one Nation-One Tax, the Mandi Tax should be scrapped from all States and lone Toll Tax should be abolished from Jammu. It has also called for withdrawal of permission of 100 % FDI in single brand retail.
The Traders Charter has demanded the Government a robust and transparent policy for e commerce whereas it has also raised the demand of increase of exemption limit under Income Tax upto Rs. 5 lakhs and exemption under Section 80C be raised from 1.5 lakh to 2.5 lakh. The Forest Department Tax on Stones and Wood should be abolished from all States. The Charter has further demanded that maximum penalty under Food Safety and Standards Act should not be more than Rs.10 ten thousands and the Food Safety & Standards Act should be reviewed and necessary amendments be made. Essential items and food grains should be kept out from the Commodity Exchanges. Loans should be made available to traders at a lower interest rate on easy terms. The Charter has also said that under Section 411 & 412, the traders are arrested. These sections should be suitably amended and provision of arrest should be withdrawn. Bank charges on usage of Debit/Credit Cards and electronic payments should not be levied on the traders and should be subsidised directly by the Government to Banks. The CAIT has also demanded a National Trade Policy for Retail Trade and a separate Ministry of Internal Trade for traders.