Textile traders extend 3-day strike against GST

Kolkata, June 28 (IANS) The ongoing three-day strike of textile traders against imposition of GST, was on Wednesday extended till June 30 after getting support from the Bhartiya Udyog Vypar Mandal which has also called for a trade shutdown on that day.

"Our textile strike was supposed to end on June 29. But we will extend our strike by one day till June 30 after the Bhartiya Udyog Vypar Mandal supported our cause and have called for a nationwide trade strike on June 30," the Chamber of Textile Trade and Industry (COTTI) President Arun Bhuwalka said here.

He said the textile traders are against the imposition of Goods and Services tax (GST) on textiles.

"We were exempted from the tax net that is why Indian textiles are globally competitive. With the proposed imposition of 5 per cent GST, textiles products will be expensive by 10-12 per cent because we have to pass on the GST rate as well as the compliance cost," he said.

He said lack of clarity on GST on textile-made articles has complicated the textiles trading industry which has lakhs of small and micro level entrepreneurs.

Bhartiya Udyog Vypar Mandal's Patron Mahesh Singhania said, "We are not against the GST. It was announced as one nation, one market, and one tax, but it is not at all so. We demand the simplification of new laws and rules. We demand preparing and educating of all the stakeholders before roll-out of GST. We also demanded deferment of GST."

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said at least six months more would be necessary to notify all rules and procedures and give enough time to the stakeholders, particularly the small and medium enterprises to successfully implement the GST.