SIVAKASI
Over one crore workers employed in cottage industries and unorganised sectors faced the danger of losing job due to the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST), said Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP T.K. Rengarajan.
Addressing the press here on Monday after participating in a demonstration and rally by workers of fireworks units against levy of 28% GST, Mr. Rengarajan said safety match, fireworks, handloom and power loom sectors were greatly affected due to GST implementation.
“For the power loom sector, the GST is levied at multiple stages. The new taxation policy is likely to affect the employment of over one crore people, directly and indirectly involved in cottage and small-scale industries,” the Rajya Sabha member said.
With no alternative employment opportunities available for this huge workforce, education and health of their wards were likely to be affected.
Assailing the Centre for its economic policies, Mr. Rengarajan said the Union government was trying to wipe out cottage and small-scale industrial units so that multinational companies could benefit.
Stating that the CPI (M) would discuss these adverse impacts of the GST on small-scale units with other political parties and raise them in Parliament later this month.
“We did tell the government that the demonitisation move had affected the unorganised sector,” he added.
Party leader U. Vasuki was among those who participated in the protest demonstration.
Earlier, hundreds of workers of fireworks units took out a rally from Erattai Palam junction to Satchiyapuram. All the cracker units had declared holiday in view of the protest.
