In a statewide demonstration, traders will close markets on August 27 to demand the cancellation of the regulatory tax imposed by Market Committees and simplification of the GST law. This decision follows a recent meeting in Pune and has been announced by the Maharashtra State Traders Action Committee.
To draw the government’s attention, a symbolic one-day closure will be observed, during which wholesale and retail markets across Maharashtra will remain shut. Traders will also stage a protest in Mumbai on the same day.
Raikumar Nahar, President of The Poona Merchants Chamber, emphasized that goods coming from processing industries in packaged form should not be regulated. He argued that the role of market committees should primarily be as infrastructure providers, charging annual maintenance fees based on the facilities provided instead of regulating agricultural products. Nahar called for a new law that considers the interests of traditional businesses and the unskilled workers dependent on them.
“Through GST, the government is setting new records for revenue each month. It is necessary to consider how GST can be simplified for taxpayers by eliminating many complicated provisions. Taxpayers should be given an opportunity to correct technical errors made inadvertently in the past,” said Nahar.
Traders are also demanding that goods imported from other states or countries should not be regulated. They argue that agricultural products brought by traders from one market committee area to another within Maharashtra should not face regulations or conditions. Additionally, to withstand competition from multinational companies and e-commerce, traders believe more primary facilities and modern trade systems need to be established in market committees. They also called for the abolition of GST on food items.
The protest and market closure aim to pressure the government into addressing these demands, ensuring a more favorable business environment for traders across the state.