No ease of doing business for small traders post-GST, note ban: Rahul

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday urged Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to spend time with small traders and businessmen to get the real feedback on ‘ease of doing business’ rather than going by the word of an outsider agency.

The comments came after the World Bank ‘upgraded’ India's ranking on ease of doing business on Tuesday. Rahul contested the upgrade, saying it was not true for the small traders in the aftermath of the GST rollout and demonetisation.

Multiple rallies Addressing multiple rallies in south Gujarat on the first day of phase three of his ‘Navsarjan Gujarat’ campaign, Rahul said the Centre believes the words of foreign agencies, rather than those of its own people.

“One international organisation recently said India has improved on the ease of doing business front. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley sits in his chamber and listens to all such outsiders. I request him to come out of his chamber and spend a few minutes with small traders to know their feedback on ease of doing business,” he said at a rally at Jambusar.

“Hindustan doesn’t need a certificate from an outside agency. But (it) needs a certificate from the people (of India),” he said during a roadshow, which saw large crowds flocking to his coach.

“There is no ease of doing business for small traders after the note-ban and GST rollout. This has caused massive damage to small businesses, which are the backbone of the country and Gujarat,” he told a crowd of farmers and small traders at Jambusar near Bharuch.

Easy for whom? Rahul went on to say that for the first time in many years people are this angry. “Everybody is upset and troubled the way GST has been implemented. GDP has taken a hit. The question is, then this ease of doing business was for whom? They eased business for Jay Shah and his business grew so well from ₹50,000 to ₹80 crore since 2014,” he said, referring to the alleged rise in the business of BJP president Amit Shah’s son.

Taking a potshot at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Gujarat Model’ and its driver, the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, Rahul termed it a big failure. Just 2 per cent of the MoUs signed at the event were implemented, he said.

The Congress’ Gujarat election in-charge and former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot said there is a strong undercurrent against the ruling BJP in the State.

“Gujarat has shown the way to the nation. Leaders like Gandhiji and Sardar from Gujarat too showed a way. You (people) have the strength to show the way to the country. A Congress government in the State will use your strength for your welfare and not for industrialists,” Rahul said.

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