Bharat Bandh on February 26: Nationwide shutdown of traders from all over the country, there will also be a roundabout jam – know, who gets discounts
Bharat Bandh on 26th Feb: CAT has called for a India trade off on Friday (26 February), seeking a review of GST rules. (File photo)
New Delhi:
Confederation of All India Traders (CAT) has GST (GST) On Friday (February 26), demanding a review of the rules, India has called for a trade-off. On this day, markets across the country will remain closed and there will be no business activities. Business organizations in all the states of the country have decided to join the trade-off. In Delhi too, most of the trade organizations have decided to join the trade-off. CAT has called for an India trade shutdown, calling several recent amendments to the GST rules adverse to trade and demanding a ban on e-commerce company Amazon immediately.
CAT National President BC Bhartia and National General Secretary Praveen Khandelwal told that on February 26, “solicitation” will be organized at about 1500 places across the country including Delhi to raise their voice, on the other hand, no businessman will be GST on that day. They will register their protest by not logging in on the portal. He told that most of the major merchant organizations in Delhi have decided to join the trade-off. Some other organizations will announce the decision to join the bandh by this evening.
Khandelwal said that the opposition of traders across the country would be rational and peaceful. Wholesale and retail markets will remain completely closed while shops selling essential commodities have not been included in the shutdown. Shops, etc. which cater to the needs of people in residential colonies have also been kept out of bandh. He said that shutting down business is not the deeds of the traders but our compulsion is because the GST tax system has become very complex rather than simplified.
Khandelwal said that GST has gone completely against the original stated purpose, whose observance has upset the traders. He alleged that instead of making the tax system simple and rational, the GST Council is working towards imposing maximum burden of tax on traders, which is grossly undemocratic.
He said that ‘All India Transporters Welfare Association (AITWA) is supporting CAT’s call for Bharat Bandh and will block the cycle on 26 February. Khandelwal said, “On February 26, all markets across the country will remain closed and protests will be organized in different cities of all states.” He said that more than 40,000 merchant unions will support the bandh with CAT .
He said that GST needs to create a simplified and rationalized tax system in which even an ordinary businessman can easily follow the provisions of GST. “Voluntary compliance” is the key to a successful GST system. “Khandelwal said that in four years, about 950 amendments have been made in the GST rules so far. Issues related to technical flaws on GST portal and increasing compliance burden are major drawbacks of the system.