Tag: FRTWA

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Kharcha paani

Shops now want to remain open 24/7

After the Maharashtra Government recently allowed small shops to remain open on all days, traders now want shop timings relaxed.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Last week, the Maharashtra State Government decided to allow medium and small shops to remain open on all days of the year, earning a rousing cheer from traders all across the State. Now, shops are aiming to remain open for 24 hours, if not all year, then at least during the festive seasons.

In a letter addressed to Prakash Mehta, Minister of Labour, Government of Maharashtra, the Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA) has requested the State to allow shops to remain for all 24 hours; failing the granting of this request, the FRTWA has asked for a relaxation of shop timings at least during festive days. In the letter, which has been signed by Viren Shah, President, FRTWA, traders across the State have called for shops to remain open up to 00.30 am for 10 days during Diwali, Christmas and Eid every year, apart from other festival days “which can be mutually discussed and decided.” Writes Shah, “We would also request that shops remain open for 24 hours on the day of Eid, when the moon is seen. Also, AHAR (Association of Hotels And Restaurants) would be happy if restaurants were kept open 24×7.”

Says Shah, “We have made this request so that business and employment will receive a boost in Maharashtra. Already, 35 lakh small and medium shops across Maharashtra are affected by the Government’s decision to allow shops to remain all days of the week, 365 days of the year.” He adds, “We are hoping that the Minister (Mehta) will invite us for a meeting to discuss our request further.”

(Picture courtesy www.livemint.com. Image used for representational purpose only)

 

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Big story

Dear BMC Commissioner, no hawkers please!

There’s a chance that 1 lakh hawkers will be added to Mumbai’s streets very soon. Retailers’ body will oppose it.

Two days ago, the Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA) wrote to BMC chief Sitaram Kunte protesting against the upcoming Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending Bill, 2012, which is to come into effect once cleared by the Rajya Sabha.

viren shahAs per the letter, the FRTWA is determined to protest the passing of the Bill on grounds that it will add more hawkers to the roads without clarity on who will regulate their working. Produced below is the full text of the letter written by Viren Shah (in pic on left), President, FRTWA:

“To The BMC Commissioner,

Mumbai

The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2012 will come into effect once cleared by Rajya Sabha.

Presently, the city has between 1.5 lakh and 2 lakh hawkers, including unlicensed ones. The Act is expected to add on another 1 lakh hawkers who will spill onto the city’s pavements. Estimates have it that the number of hawkers will be 2.5% of the population.

Considering the latest census, which has pegged the city’s populace at 1.25 crore, the city will have 3.13 lakh hawkers.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has appointed a two-member committee to study the current hawking situation and come up with solutions which can be implemented as pilot projects in the city.

hawkers outside shopsThese experts will conduct street surveys and spatial studies for a holistic solution which can be implemented for the pilot projects. A work order for the study was issued last week. Dadar and Vile Parle have been earmarked as probable areas to conduct the pilot project study. Work on the survey is expected to start shortly after a meeting of civic officials scheduled for next week.

FRTWA strongly objects to this new policy whereby these two members who are going to make 1 lakh hawkers legal and they will be placed through out mumbais market and public places,stations,schools,hospitals which is going to be against the  supreme court guidelines.

Who will regulate them? BMC AND POLICE?

Even now these illegal hawkers are not under any control and the way they have spread their wings in sizes and width, they have not only occupied pedestrian footpaths but also parts of roads in many busy areas of Mumbai and that too main roads like Linking road, Crawford market and most of the station ares of Mumbai where pedestrians have no footpath to walk, vehicles have no road to drive on and  shopkeepers have no entrance for their customers to enter the shops.

We strongly object to such a policy whereby two members are going to give licenses to one lakh hawkers and Mumbai will become hawking zone.

These hawkers do not pay taxes, get goods without any license, without paying any octroi or VAT and neither they pay any income tax.

Why do we tax paying citizens bear their burden and allow these illegal hawkers to occupy our pedestrians footpath, roads and shop windows and entrances of shops without any tax to the Government?

We will approach the Supreme Court if such policy is passed by Rajya sabha.

We will not allow hawkers in front of our shops in Mumbai.

Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA)

Viren shah
President

(Pictures courtesy www.nscimumbai.com, www.wildjunket.com, www.dnaindia.com. Hawkers’ images used for representational purpose only)

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Kharcha paani

Lingerie mannequin issue makes shops see red

The Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association is asking for zero interference from the BMC in displaying lingerie inside shops.
Viren Shahby Viren Shah, FRTWA President

It is quite strange that Ms Ritu Tawde, a BJP Corporator, has proposed the banning of mannequins wearing lingerie or displays of lingerie on the roadside, and not inside the showroom.

We from the FRTWA (Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association) have always objected to anything being sold on the footpath by hawkers or through any illegal stalls. The BMC has only a few thousand license holders who are supposed to sell in a 1 metre x 1 metre area only, and in that area too, they cannot keep or display mannequins and sell any garments. This means that in any case, it is illegal to sell anything on the footpath, a resolution that is passed by the House, and the BMC does not need any separate resolution for this.

We support their action on roadside mannequins and displays.

Our objection is to the proposed ban on display within our shop premises. This should not be stopped or prevented, as it is our right as shop owners to display and sell the products. If we get any complaint from our customers at large, then we will look into the issue, but we cannot solve any such potential complaint by forcefully being prevented from our right of business and right of freedom to sell the products.

Since the time this issue first came into light, we have written two letters to the BMC Commissioner, the Chief Minister and the Mayor, and requested them to not take any decision in this regard without consulting with us. After all, we are the affected party, and any restriction that affects our business interests must be imposed only after discussing it with us and taking us into confidence.

Regards,

Viren Shah, President,

FRTWA

What do you think of the proposed ban on the lingerie display on mannequins in Mumbai? Tell us in the comments section below.

(Pictures courtesy photogallery.indiatimes.com, deccanchronicle.com)

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Shops will remain open despite LBT strike

It’s Sharad Pawar to the rescue as the agitation over LBT is suspended to Friday; Pawar has promised final solution.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

After a serious hit to business and several problems caused to consumers as shops – small and big – threatened to remain shut indefinitely in protest of the State Government’s decision to implement LBT (Local Body Tax), NCP chief Sharad Pawar has staved off the agitation for a while.

After a meeting held with representatives of various trading and retailer organisations at his residence at Yeoor today, Pawar has asked the traders to suspend their strike and meet him again on Friday, May 24, at his residence for a final meeting on the LBT issue. “He has assured us that the meeting will continue for as long as it takes to resolve the issue,” said Viren Shah (President of the Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association) to The Metrognome, minutes after the meeting was completed with Pawar today. “We had a wonderful meeting with him and he has assured us of a solution to the issue,” Shah added. As of now, Shah clarified, “The strike continues but FRTWA has asked all individual shops to remain open.”

Pune and Thane have already suspended the strike. It is likely that Mumbai’s traders will also follow suit by tomorrow.

LBT (Local Body Tax) is the tax which will be imposed by municipal bodies on the entry of goods into a local area for consumption, use or sale. It relies on a self assessment or account-based method of paying local tax, where the trader himself declares his tax liability by submitting his records.

The representatives included Navi Mumbai Merchants’ director Amarshi Karia, APMC Director Kirti Rana, Siddhivinayak Chairman Subhash Mayekar, FRTWA’s Viren Shah and Navi Mumbai Merchant Chambers’ Girish Rana, among others.

On his part, it is learnt that Pawar has agreed that if octroi is payable on a good/commodity, then dealers are not required to undergo the registration for LBT. He is also said to have been convinced that shopkeepers need not register if there is no octroi or LBT payable by them, and that he realised that traders wished to pay tax without any harassment or extra paperwork. Pawar also requested traders to open for business without causing further problems to the public.

What happened in the meeting

The meeting opened with the representatives explaining that traders were on strike for the last 27 days, and retailers for six days. “I argued that shopkeepers, who have nothing to do with goods brought from outside the city, have nothing to do with LBT. So why do they need to take registration and file any returns?” Shah (in pic on right) said. Another point raised was that traders were willing to pay tax, but that they refused to go for “extra registration and extra assessment”.

As per the current framework of LBT as laid out by the Government, even the smallest shops with a daily turnover of Rs 822 and above would have to take a separate registration, to which Pawar was said to be shocked. The assembled group suggested that the Sales Tax Department should handle the administration of LBT and also the assessment, as against the idea of the local municipal body doing the same, since the latter are “not experienced enough to do the assessment”.

The representatives also pointed out several lacunae in the proposed LBT move. “For instance, officers ask for assessment proceedings along with details, which are impossible for dealers to produce,” explained Shah. “Hence, corruption is happening in Vasai and many have shifted to Gujarat. Again, in Navi Mumbai, those items for sale such as fruits and spices that are not liable for LBT are also charged LBT. This has led to a ‘double taxation’ in Navi Mumbai’s APMC market.”

(Pictures courtesy www.jaimaharashtranews.com, photogallery.indiatimes.com, www.topnews.in)

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