Agra Shoe Factors Federation (ASFF), on November 29, called off the strike, which was started to protest the 12.5 percent value added tax (VAT) proposed by the Uttar Pradesh Government on leather footwear.
The footwear industry of Agra which renders around 80 percent of the country’s total footwear demand, was shocked with the Governments decision to levy VAT from December 1. According to sources from ASFF, the footwear traders in Agra are currently paying 8 percent trade tax.
Around 600 traders of footwear in the the region had gone on strike on November 13, in protest against VAT which is expected to drive a loss of about Rs1 crore each day to the footwear business of Agra.
ASFF ended the strike when the State Government agreed to look into the problems faced by footwear traders and mull over on revising the unreasonable tax slabs for leather and plastic footwear, soles and other related accessories proposed in the present schedule.
However, the decision to go on an indefinite strike could not be continued as traders were bearing heavy losses every day and nearly 3,00,000 people who are engaged with this trade are also getting affected by this strike.
The footwear industry of Agra which renders around 80 percent of the country’s total footwear demand, was shocked with the Governments decision to levy VAT from December 1. According to sources from ASFF, the footwear traders in Agra are currently paying 8 percent trade tax.
Around 600 traders of footwear in the the region had gone on strike on November 13, in protest against VAT which is expected to drive a loss of about Rs1 crore each day to the footwear business of Agra.
ASFF ended the strike when the State Government agreed to look into the problems faced by footwear traders and mull over on revising the unreasonable tax slabs for leather and plastic footwear, soles and other related accessories proposed in the present schedule.
However, the decision to go on an indefinite strike could not be continued as traders were bearing heavy losses every day and nearly 3,00,000 people who are engaged with this trade are also getting affected by this strike.
