The talks between Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac and representatives of the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi (KVVES) hit a road block on Sunday over the finer details of implementing the GST.
This has set the stage for a major confrontation between the State government and the traders’ organisation with the latter announcing that it proposed to go ahead with its call for a token stir on Tuesday and top it up with an indefinite agitation later depending on the government’s response.
Poultry traders, commission agents, and farmers have also decided to go on an indefinite from Tuesday refusing to budge to the Finance Minister’s directive on the retail price of chicken in view of the zero tax regime for poultry.
The traders’ and poultry strikes will acquire punch because the petroleum dealers across the State have also given a call to close shop on Tuesday for different reason — to protest against the reforms introduced by major oil companies to publish petrol and diesel prices daily.
Talks with traders, held in Alappuzha, did not make headway because the Finance Minister refused to agree to the KVVES proposal to defer the implementation of GST by three months as traders were incurring heavy losses owing to the varied tax structure on closing stock.
The Finance Minister made it clear that he was sympathetic to the traders’ demand, reiterating his earlier stand that grievance cells would be set up in the districts to make the transition to GST smoother.
