Disclosure reports with US Senate show amount spent since 2008
Global retail giant Wal-Mart — waiting for years to open its supermarkets in India — has been lobbying with the US lawmakers since 2008 to facilitate its entry into the highly lucrative Indian market.
As per the lobbying disclosure reports filed by Wal-Mart with the US Senate, the company has spent close to $25 million (about Rs 125 crore) since 2008 on its various lobbying activities, including on the issues related to “enhanced market access for investment in India“.
‘DISCUSSIONS ON FDI’
In the last quarter ended September 30, 2012 itself, the company spent $1.65 million (about Rs 10 crore) on various lobbying issues, which included “discussions related to FDI in India”.
During the quarter, Wal-Mart lobbied for its case with the US Senate, the US House of Representatives, the US Trade Representative (USTR) and the US Department of State, as per its latest quarterly disclosure report.
The companies are allowed to lobby for their cases in various departments and agencies in the US, but they are required to file their lobbying disclosure reports every quarter with the US Senate.
So far in 2012, Wal-Mart has spent more than $3 million or about Rs 18 crore on its various lobbying activities, including those related to India.
As per Wal-Mart’s lobbying disclosure reports, the company has continuously lobbied for its India entry since 2008, except for a few quarters in 2009.
Indian government recently opened up its multi-brand retail sector for foreign companies after years of political opposition and a Parliament motion against this decision was defeated last week in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
The US-based supermarket chain operator Wal-Mart Stores, which has an annual turnover of $444 billion and a worldwide headcount of 2.2 million, has been eyeing for a long time to enter India.
The Indian retail market is estimated to be worth about $500 billion currently and is pegged to cross $1 trillion mark by 2020, given the rising personal income and growing consumer spending trends.
FAVOURABLE DESTINATION
According to a report by global consultancy major AT Kearney, the organised retail is expected to reach 25 per cent of the overall market by 2020.
The report also said that India remains one of the most favourable destinations for international retailers and an accelerated retail growth of 15-20 per cent is expected over the next five years.
Keywords: Walmart, Walmart lobby bill, fdi in retail, multi brand retail in India, India retail sector
Comments:
Walmart's India strategy spills out. Further underlines how the government is selling the nation in the name of development. Even with the opposition raising the issue of Walmart's bribery during the FDI debate in Parliament, the government completely ignored the fact. The politicians clearly take citizens of this country as fools and will go to any extent to fill their coffers. In this light, all responsible, educated Indians must join in solidarity, boycott big retailers and support their local producers, retailers and markets.
An important fact that is being suppressed regarding Walmart's entry
into India is that there is a large and growing market for the meat of
Indian children in certain countries. A large number of Indians in the
Meerut area and elsewhere are employed in this industry -- the busting
of "a 150-member gang, which allegedly used to slaughter abducted
children, roast their bodies and eat them after failing to strike a
handsome deal with child traffickers" was reported at :
dailyDOTbhaskarDOTcom/article/UP-another-horror-nithari-like-vampires-
exposed-in-meerut-2878885DOThtml ; I have attached that report to my
press release and more details can be found in my blog :
RAWsTraffickingOfIndianChildrenDOTblogspotDOTcom . The plans for
Walmart's entry into India include a vast expansion of this industry,
setting up better and more efficient supply chains and processing
plants within India; at present the children are taken out of India to
be processed. Satish Chandra
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