The Hindu Business Line : Bengal traders call for bandh

It is agitating against various trade issues, including the proposed FDI in retail, quarterly submission of `C' Forms in advance, service tax on the transport of goods and the general increase in prices of commodities post-VAT.

Briefing newspersons here on Wednesday, Mr Mahesh Singhania, Chairman, FWBTA, said that the non-uniformity of VAT rates and rules, as against Government assurances, has led to an alarming situation in West Bengal and an increase in prices of most of the commodities, which are outside the purview of VAT.

He ascribed the inflationary wholesale prices of commodities of daily use such as atta, sugar and maida to the hike in diesel and petrol prices, service tax on goods transport, fringe benefit tax (FBT) and the post-VAT scenario. Prices of all grades of paper, incense sticks, fruits and sweet meats have also gone up because of the above factors.

Mr Singhania feared that FDI in retail will not only "extinguish" the small and medium traders, but will also seriously tell upon the malls, hitting the consumers hard.

Pointing out that the FBT is being collected "wrongly and unconstitutionally," he dubbed it as an expenditure tax in the guise of income tax. Mr Singhania said that instead of being viewed as an employer's liability, as expenses on employees, FBT is wrongfully being applied and taxes are collected from the self-employed.

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