Majority businesses boycotted pre-budget meeting with Finance Minister: JKCC

Demands JK as free economic zone, revocation of GST

Jammu and Kashmir Coordination Committee (JKCC) has expressed gratitude to all those member-organizations which followed its programme of boycotting their participation in pre-budget discussions with the Finance Minister.
JKCC said overwhelming majority of business organizations including Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Fed¬eration (KTMF), Federation of Chambers of Industries Kashmir (FCIK), Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industries-Kashmir (CCIK), Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA), Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHARA),Kashmir Traders Federation (KTF), Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers and Dealers Union (KVGGDU), All Kashmir Chemists and Druggists Federation (AKCDF), Jammu Kashmir Contractors Coordination Committee (JKCCC), Pash¬mina Artisans Forum (PAF), Kashmir Sanitary and Paints Association (KSPA), Jammu and Kashmir Goods Transport Association (JKGTA), Jammu Kashmir Association of Haj and Umrah (JKASHUC), Jammu Kashmir Hoteliers’ Club (JKHC), Houseboat Own¬ers Association (HBOA), Tour¬ist Taxi Operators Association (TTOA), Adventure Tour Operators Association of Kashmir (ATOAK), Urban Travel Agents Association (UTAA), Association of Kash¬mir Tour Operators (AKTO), Shahre-Khas Traders and Manufacturers Coordination Committee and others boycot¬ted the pre-budged meeting.
All these organizations have reaffirmed their firm resolve to unitedly fight out all Government policies and ‘diktats’ that are detrimental to the growth and development of trade and commerce in the state.
It said the organizations have also set a precedent to work for restoration of credibility, honour and dignity of their members who are job providers and in no way a burden on the public exchequer.
“A few organizations which chose to ignore the call of JKCC and helped the Finance Minister to complete his annual ritual of so called discussions, should know that their memorandum of charter of demands will meet the similar fate as these have been meeting all these years. The leaders of these organizations should seek introspection and ac-countability, if not from the populace or trading community but from their own con¬sciences.”
JKCCC said these organizations should also ascertain if this act of going against the unity is expected to bring back the lost glory in trade and commerce that has reached to the point of collapse and extinction, responsibility of which mostly lies on the present Finance Minister.
“These organizations should understand and realize that the division in the ranks and files of business community in not only against the interests of common traders but also provide an opportunity to the government to work on a divide and rule policy.”
It said JKCC has a belief that the damage caused to the economy could only be rectified at the level of some high level forum headed by the Chief Minister “provided she shows some interest, before it is too late”.
JKCC said it stands firm on its resolve that the state economy can only be brought back on rails with a radical change in lopsided government policies which should include declaration of the state as free economic zone and revocation of presidential order paving way for roll back of GST.