• Investment World
• eWorld
• Catalyst
• Mentor
• Life
• Canvas
• Praxis
• Urban Pulse
• Brand Quest

Stocks

• Quotes
• SE Diary
• Scoreboard
• Open-End Mutual Fund

Port Info

• Ships in Ports
  
  

Archives

• Yesterday
• Datewise
• Resources

Group Sites

• The Hindu
• Business Line
• The Sportstar
• Frontline
• The Hindu eBooks
• The Hindu Images

Our Bureau

Kolkata , April 18

THE Federation of West Bengal Trade Associations (FOWBTA), in keeping with the call by the all-India Bharat Vyapari Udyog Mandal, has decided to observe a trade bandh on April 29 in protest against VAT implementation.

The Federation has also requested the wholesale traders of the State to completely suspend trading activities from April 20, 2005. According to Mr Mahesh Singhania, senior member of the Federation, traders in West Bengal irrespective of their size, will observe the all India trade bandh on April 29, 2005.

Mr Singhania said, "We want to assure consumers that their interests will be fully kept in mind and they will not be made to suffer. In this direction, our advice has already been given to the retail traders." He maintained that the fight against VAT was primarily in favour of the consumers, apart from the various problems and tough rules the traders have to face under the VAT regime. He reiterated that the Federation would continue to oppose VAT tooth and nail.

Mr Singhania said, "We would like to inform consumers that a good number of essential consumer products like wheat, rice, atta, maida, suji, besan, bread, sweetmeats and salty confectioneries etc, which were proposed to be taxed under the proposed VAT Act, have now been kept outside the purview of VAT, following negotiations with the Finance Minister much before the 2005-06 Union Budget."

Countering the Government's claim that prices of commodities will go down following VAT, he said prices of a good number of commodities have already gone up. "Prices of no commodity has come down, other than locally available LPG, where the public sector oil companies make a direct sale to consumers through their designated dealers and the Government has got no scope to charge more than 12.5 per cent VAT."

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
e-Smart cards launch in May for overseas job aspirants

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line