‘No Govt can afford to neglect traders’

Seen are Union Minister Kapil Sibal, CAIT National President B C Bhartia and others.

The National Summit of Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT at New Delhi ended with a firm resolve to convert the trading community across the country in to a vote bank and to play a major role in forthcoming elections to Parliament in the current year. Trade leaders from about 1,500 associations all over the country attended the Convention which was presided by CAIT National President B C Bhartia. CAIT will undertake a massive nation-wide campaign among 6 crore traders of the country for conversion the community into a vote bank and will shortly announce its ‘Delhi Declaration.’ 

Taking part in the deliberations of the convention senior Congress leader and Union Minister Kapil Sibal termed the trading community as a spinal cord of Indian economy and strongly advocated the need of a National Trade Policy for retail trade of India. He also underlines the need of creation of Trade Board in Centre and states with representative from trade and civil society. 

Sibal accepted the truth that at Government-level policies are framed at the table whereas implementation is being done at ground-level and due to lack of synergy between policy and ground realties, it often leads to major discontent. He said that the traders need to be taken into confidence before formulating any policy for trading community. 

A continued dialogue between traders and the Government is necessary in larger interest of development of economy. “No Government can afford to neglect the traders,” he asserted. 

Sibal strongly advocating upgradation and modernisation of retail trade and unequivocally said that before implementation of any policy, the infrastructure, power, simplified and hassle-free system free from corruption should be made available to traders by the Government. 

He also said that an alternate financial mechanism needs to be made available to traders for easy finance to traders at reasonable rate of interest. He advised traders to form a ‘Traders Communication Forum’ through which the traders should circulate their issues and problems through media as well besides approaching the Government. 

Sibal assured traders that the controversial Food Safety and Standards Act would be re-looked and traders safety first food safety afterwards would be the motto.