Sunday, December 25, 2011

REQUEST TO CANCEL THE IMPLEMENTATION OF E SUGAM TILL GST

TO,
THE HON'BLE UNION FINANCE MINISTER,

GOV'T OF INDIA,

LOKSABHA,

DELHI..

SUB..REQUEST TO CANCEL THE IMPLEMENTATION OF E SUGAM TILL GST

RESPECTED SIR,

Wish you a very Happy New Year IN ADVANCE from the members of Karnataka Hosiery and Garments Association..Under your dynamic leadership,let our country prosper further and further.We would like to get to your kind notice that ESUGAM IS BEING MADE COMPULSORY FOR ALL TRADERS w e f 01.12.11 which will effect trade and businessman in a significant manner in KARNATAKA ONLY....

Vat implementation in our state is quite smooth and traders have come to terms with it.We traders are sincerely contributing to the exchequer as it is our duty to work hand in hand with the Government..Everybody works for the Government either in the pay roll or the tax roll..Esugam is being implemented in view of cross-checking the transaction but what we have to state is that already computerised check posts, monthly returns, vigilence departments,intelligence departments are well equipped to handle genuinity of transactions..In the readymade garment trade,it is a un-organised sector,hence majority of traders are not having computers,internets and power situation also is not such rosy.These days labour shortage is huge and traders financially are not sound to maintain extra staff or they have to pay the auditor the extra sums monthly.which will be a extra financial burden..Readymade garment sector this year already facing huge crisis due to Excise and heavy increase in raw material prices and due to which our margin have taken a huge beating and it is getting difficult to make ends meet.

Any system should be easygoing. in so many department viz. income tax or excise , they are liberalizing rules and return submission are paperless and easy..Our govt. also think on above matter...The Govt should answer why it is being introduced, what are the merits/de-merits, what are the benefits for the business community etc. Simply introducing one rule or other does not make sense..The govt is voted by the people and all new rules should have the support and favour of the public..Many states having vat regime have avoided ESUGAM YET but our state is forcing traders to adopt it..Any universal law will be welcomed with less hardship to the traders & we traders need your support..

Referring to the notification relating to information to be provided by the consignee on the goods received from out of the State, it is impossible for the consignee to get all the information in time and accurately from the consignor before the dispatch of goods. The consignor who stays in some other State may not take serious interest in providing all the information in time, accurately and completely. Under the notification, it is the consignee who will be held responsible for wrong or inaccurate information and is liable to be penalised...

SIR..THE SMALL & MEDIUM TRADER IS COMING TO REALIZE THAT EDUCATION IS TO BUSINESS WHAT FERTILIZER IS TO FARMING BUT SUDDENLY IN SHORT TIME WE ARE UNABLE TO SWITCH OVER..


We request your good self to kindly take note of the above points & oblige us by safeguarding us from this ESUGAM..We assure you of our best services..Gratitude to the Government should be as regular as our heart beat and we are thankful to you Sir for the continuous patronage extended to us..


Thanking You,

Yours Faithfully

Sajjan Raj Mehta
CHAIRMAN.TAXATION COMMITTEE
KARNATAKA HOSIERY & GARMENT ASSOCIATION
9845501150

Saturday, December 17, 2011

story in decan herald on 18.12.11

story in decan herald on 18.12.11

Parking space shrinks as City roads burst at seams
Sandeep Moudgal

Manoeuvring through the narrow bylanes of Gandhinagar, Karthik N S, software engineer, looks for a parking space. After an ardous search, he finally manages to get a space just enough to squeeze his small car in a corner. And the luxury comes at price of Rs 20.

The experience of Karthik is no different from that of anyone who uses a four-wheeler on the busy and congested roads of Bangalore. The vehicular population in the City has gone up by 10.84 per cent in a decade (2000-2009), according to the statistics available.

However, there has been no corresponding expansion of the parking space and the civic agencies have failed miserably in this regard. And vehicle users continue to suffer, often paying a hefty price.

“The measures taken by the civic agencies have only aggravated the situation. The efforts to de-congest the streets have had no bearing on the parking spaces,” Karthik lamented.
Unauthorised parking zones have only added to the woes.

“A man just gives you a slip demanding parking fee, claiming himself to be a contractor, but without any identification. Vehicle users have no other alternative but to pay up, so that they can park their vehicles,” Karthik said.

On MG Road, parking space for a two-wheeler costs not less than Rs five. The amount, however, has been determined at will, without any basis. With parking space being a luxury on the busy road, vehicle users just pay up without any question. The desperation on the part of vehicle users is more pronounced in Malleswaram. People are ready to pay up a fine of Rs 100 to park their four-wheelers in a no parking zone. Eateries, which have mushroomed in a primarily residential locality, have led to the mess. “It is better to pay Rs 100 and ensure that the car is within our eyesight than park it in an unknown location,” contends Vasant, with a tinge of sarcasm.

N K Shankar, a resident of Malleswaram, blamed the regional transport authority for its failure to exercise control on burgeoning vehicular population. Traffic and Transit Management Centres (TTMCs) set up across the City with huge parking spaces too have been of little help in easing the situation. Little thought has gone into the location of TTMCs.

Business affected

The parking space conundrum has cast its adverse effects on the business in Chickpet. Lack of space to park their vehicles has deterred people from shopping at Chickpet, a commercial area with narrow lanes.

“I used to have customers since eight in the morning, till about five years ago. With the parking problem worsening day by day, few people now turn out at my shop,” said Manak Chand Lunkad, proprietor of an a electrical appliances shop. Lunkad traced the malady to tempos and lorries which make their way to the shops to deliver goods. While it really is a nuisance, traders cannot do without supplies. Talks with traffic police to ensure a semblance of order have not yielded any fruit, Lankad said.

Some ingenious traders have managed to spare themselves of the ordeal by shifting their shops to B V K Iyengar Road where parking has been banned. Lunkad opines that the State government or the local civic body should provide them with a separate space, perhaps even a couple of kilometers away, for parking the heavy vehicles to bring the goods to Chickpet.

According to Sajjan Raj Mehta, member of the State Taxes Committee of Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), the traders have mooted a proposal to ease the traffic congestion by asking the authorities to ensure that all four-wheelers are parked in the designated parking bays, despite them being a few kilometers away. “We can then have a prepaid autorickshaw stand in Chickpet for commuters to travel to and from Chickpet for their shopping,” he says.

Mehta suggests that parking slots for four-wheelers could be located at their Maharaja parking complex near Abhinay theatre or at Alankar Plaza whereas two-wheelers can be allowed to be parked near Bandi Mutt near Chickpet. He hoped that there could be some solution once the Chickpet metro station becomes operational.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

FDI IN RETAIL-- FINALLY THE GOVERNMENT RELENTS......

The logjam in Parliament over the Union Cabinet’s decision to allow 51 per cent foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail ended this morning after an all-party meeting. The government agreed to suspend the move till a consensus is reached on the issue. Speaking in the Lok Sabha on the decision, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that the consensus would be reached through consultations. “Decision on FDI in retail has been suspended till consensus is reached through consultations with stakeholders," he said. The stakeholders include political parties and states, he said. The opposition parties including some ruling party allies had strongly raised voices against the Cabinet decision to allow FDI in Indian retail, by demanding a complete roll-back of the policy. But as of now, government has decided to put it on hold, since their efforts to reach out to the opposing parties failed to reach a conclusive end on the matter.

It may be noted that the government had decided on November 25 to allow 51 per cent foreign ownership of multi-brand retail stores and 100 per cent in single brand outlets..THE TRADE ASSOCIATION'S PROTEST TO IT WAS ALSO MAXIMUM AND FINALLY THE GOVERNMENT ALSO RELENTS..

THANKS TO THE MEDIA/TRADE ASSOCIATIONS FOR THE WHOLE HEARTED SUPPORT..
--
Sajjan Raj Mehta
EX PRESIDENT..KARNATAKA HOSIERY AND GARMENT ASSN
09845501150

Sunday, December 4, 2011

news in dna on fdi in retail on 2.12.11.

Bandh to protest against FDI in retail costs Bangalore Rs90 crore
Published: Friday, Dec 2, 2011, 12:11 IST
By DNA Correspondent | Place: Bangalore | Agency: DNA


More than 200 traders from different parts of the city participated in the dharna on Thursday at the FKCCI office, protesting against the central government’s move to allow 51% foreign direct investment (FDI) in the multi-brand retail sector.

JR Bangera, president, FKCCI, estimated that the state exchequer lost more than Rs90 crore as tax revenue because of traders’ strike on Thursday.At least 70% of this loss is from the Bangalore Urban & Rural districts alone, he added.

On the sidelines of the protest, he said the government should stop making illogical statements regarding the benefits of FDI in the retail sector. “Neither will the FDI bring in the 1.5 million jobs, nor reduce inflation. Our economy is not ready for FDI,” Bangera said. “Our retail markets are picking up. We are growing at a healthy rate. What is the need to bring in FDI?” he said.

Citing China as an example, Bangera said, “Before China allowed FDI in retail, they built roads, improved infrastructure, made sure that their small-scale industries were healthy, growing and well recognised. Power generation was excellent and was available at a low cost. In our country, the situation is the exact opposite,” he said.

“Here, we have people who are trying hard to make a living to get one square meal a day. FDI will displace millions of small-scale workers. What is the point in giving employment to a few hundred people when thousands are going to be affected by this?” he asked. “Many state governments have not even agreed to allow FDI in their respective states.”

Prakash Mandoth, founder president of the Jayanagar Trade Association, said, “If the government really wants to improve the retail sector, they should bring financial schemes to help the sector. Our resources are not being used efficiently. What we need is to develop our industries and not bring people from outside.”

Sajjan Raj Mehta, former president, Karnataka Hosiery and Garment Association, said, “This is a matter of our survival and this explains the enthusiastic response of the traders with regard to the bandh. Traders have responded to the bandh call by shutting shops willingly. About 20% of the Indian people directly or indirectly depend on traditional business for their livelihood.”

‘Will intensify agitation’
Mehta said there are plans to intensify the bandh in the coming days. “After Thursday’s day-long token agitation, the trading community plans to intensify the agitation as it is a matter of our survival,” he added.

Praveen Khandelwal, secretary, Confederation of All-India Traders, said the fact that so many willingly participated in the bandh showed the genuine concern of the people. “FDI in retail is a crucial issue. But the government’s decision is not substantiated with any logic,” he said, adding that the trade union is also planning to demand the formation of a joint task force, consisting of senior officials and stakeholders to suggest remedial measures.

KASSIA supports bandh
Even though the Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association did not participate in the bandh, they have expressed their displeasure towards the government’s move to allow FDI for retail sector. “We were not part of the bandh, but we know that in the long run, this move will adversely affect the small industries as well,” said Prakash Raikar, president, KASSIA.