Calling for a countrywide shutdown on February 26, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) will protest against several "arbitrary" and "draconian" provisions of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). CAIT National President BC Bhartia and Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said about 1500 big and small organizations from all states including Delhi will protest against the GST amendments on Friday.
"Traders and transporters will not log on to the GST portal in a bid to register their anguish and resentment," they said.
Who will be protesting?
Over 8 crore traders coming from more than 40,000 business organisations across the country will be joining the 'Bharat Vyapar Bandh' by closing down their shutters in protest, said CAIT.
Extending their support to the bandh, the All India Transporters Welfare Association, one of the foremost apex bodies of India's Road Transport Sector, said that, "All state level-transport associations have confirmed their support to AITWA in this one-day non-operation of transport in protest of the fuel price hike and scrapping of new E-way bill laws introduced by Government of India. The nature of the movement is to reject booking and movement of all E-Way Bill oriented goods for one day. All transport companies are asked to park their vehicles between 6 am to 8 pm as a symbolic protest. All transport godowns will display the protest banners. All customers will be approached by transport companies not to book or load any goods on February 26th, 2021," Mahendra Arya, National President AITWA, said.
Numerous leading national and state-level organisations of small-scale industries, hawkers, women entrepreneurs, self-entrepreneurs and other sectors of trade have granted support to the bandh, said CAIT.
Vyapar bandh is also getting support from the Hawkers Joint Action Committee, a national organisation of hawkers.
CAIT said that several state-level organisations of chartered accountants and tax advocates in various states have come in favour of the bandh call and have decided to keep their offices closed during the shutdown.
What will be affected and what not.
- Transport services in the country could be affected.
- Depending on the respective associations' decision, markets are likely to remain partially shut.
- On February 26, Essential services, medicine shops, milk vegetable shops, etc will not be affected.
- Bank services may not be affected.
- Booking and movement of Bill-oriented goods will be hit.
- Private transportation possibly to be hit as the transporters' association (AITWA) have asked all transport companies to park their vehicles between 6 am and 8 pm as a symbolic protest.
What are the demands?
CAIT has called for the protest against several "arbitrary" and "draconian" provisions made through amendments in GST rules. The body is also asking for the issuance of new press notes in the FDI policy to control the notoriety and arbitrariness of foreign companies in the e-commerce trade.
Amendments in the GST rules are one-sided and have caused anger and resentment amongst the business people in the country, said CAIT.
"Through these amendments, arbitrary powers have been given to the tax authorities, in particular, now any officer can suspend or cancel the GST registration number of any trader for any reason, according to his discretion, also the bank account and property of any trader can be confiscated that too without any show-cause notice and no opportunity of hearing. What kind of rule is this? Traders are denied their fundamental rights," said CAIT.
CAIT National President BC Bhartia and Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal believe that such rules will increase corruption and traders will be harassed and cheated. The traders can be denied the credit of the money which is deposited with the department as input. Many rules will deprive the traders and businessmen of their fundamental rights, both noted.