LBT issue: National traders body seek Centre's intervention

The Confederation of All-India Traders (CAIT) today said traders from Maharashtra and other states will stage protests in New Delhi if immediate steps are not taken to resolve the local body tax (LBT) issue. It also sought urgent intervention of Union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath in the matter. The Maharashtra government has implemented LBT to replace the traditional octroi in its cities.

In Mumbai, which is the only city that charges octroi at 4 per cent, LBT will come into effect from October, while other cities in the state have already gone the LBT way. In the newly-introduced local body tax, a lump sum amount has to be paid by traders or manufacturers or owner of goods within the specified period. The association sought immediate intervention of the Union minister in the matter, CAIT secretary general Praveen Khandelwal said, adding that LBT runs counter to the basic fundamentals of current VAT taxation regime and the proposed GST.

"The indefinite strike called by Maharashtra traders against LBT will further worsen the situation in the state. If no immediate steps are taken, traders of Maharashtra will stage protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and traders from rest of the country will join them," CAIT national president B C Bhartia claimed here in a statement. Wholesale and retail traders from Mumbai, Thane and Nagpur have been on an indefinite strike since last fortnight against LBT stating the move will hurt their businesses badly.

 LBT is an account-based cess collection and will be charged for every raw-material used or imported into the city limits by all businesses, traders and manufacturers.