Nagpur: The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), apex body of associations of traders in the country, has given a countrywide trade bandh call for Friday demanding simplification of goods and services tax (GST). However, in some relief for citizens, one trade organization — Chamber of Associations of Maharashtra Industry and Trade (CAMIT) — has asked its members to keep their establishments open to avoid a three-day continuous closure of markets.
Other trade organizations like Nag Vidarbha Chamber of Commerce (NVCC), Nagpur Grain Merchants Association etc have asked their members to keep their establishments closed.
All shops will be closed on Saturday and Sunday due to an order issued by municipal commissioner in view of the Covid situation.
CAMIT president Dipen Agrawal said closure of markets for three days in succession would cause immense hardships to common people, especially poor, who couldn’t afford to buy provisions in bulk. “I have urged members to keep their shops open and work wearing black bands to protest against the GST. If anyone wants to keep the establishment closed, he or she is most welcome,” he told TOI.
Central government had invited trade representatives for talks, but this has not pacified CAIT. National president BC Bhartia said those who represented the government in the talks did not have the authority necessary for changing the GST regime. “We had announced February 26 bandh 20 days ago, yet there is not a single statement from the government showing willingness to simplify GST,” he added.
Bhartia further said GST had been amended over 900 times to make it the most complicated tax system in the world. “The government talks of self-assessment and then asks GST inspectors to do our audit. This doublespeak has to be exposed. Unless the traders show their anger, the government won’t do anything,” he said.