Textile merchants of Gujarat have decided to boycott the ‘Textile India 2017’ to protest against proposed 5% tax under the Goods and Services Tax (GST). The mega event has been organised by ministry of textile, government of India. “We will not participate in exhibitions in the Textile India if the government will not listen our voice. The GST rate proposed by the council will not suitable for the small textile merchants and traders,” said Tarachand Kasat, president of Vyapari Sangarsh Samiti (VSS), which was formed by the textile traders of Surat to protest against the GST.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the event on June 30 at Gandhinagar. VSS has asked Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani to arrange a meeting with Modi so that traders can discuss the issue. Kasat said, “We have asked the CM Rupani to arrange a meeting with the Prime Minister. Traders want to meet and discuss issues related to the GST rates for the textile industry. If it will not happen, we will boycott the Textile India event and will not participate in exhibition.”
Textile merchants of Gujarat have announced three days of nationwide protest to oppose 5% tax under GST. Traders from Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Jetpur, Bhavnagar and other parts of the states have shut their shops on Monday. The GST council has proposed 5% tax on textile industry and according to the traders, the industry was always exempted from any kind of taxes. Textile merchants had gone for one day symbolic strike on June 15 to protest the proposed GST rates but as the government has not replied, industry associations across India have called for three days bandh.
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Gaurag Bhagat, president of Maskati Cloths Merchants Association said, “We have asked government to give exemption from GST but neither state or central government has listened to our demand. Finally, the industry has decided to go for strike. If government or GST council will not respond us, we will go for indefinite strike from July 1.”
