Demanded a special investigation team to investigate business of e commerce players
Domestic E commerce companies should also be brought under ambit of policy
AMN / NEW DELHI
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) in a communication sent today to Union Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu has warned the Government not to buckle under buckling under any pressure and must continue the implementation of the FDI policy in e commerce from 1st February,2019. “We would like to mention that if any deferment or extension is given, the small traders both offline and online will be compelled to resort to a national campaign against any such move and which may also have political repercussions. Now it is a matter between 7 crore small traders v/s few big MNCs and Corporate Houses. We will keenly watch the stand of the Government.”-said the CAIT. It further said that we are constrained to note from various media reports that some big e commerce players are still lobbying hard for extension or deferment of the implementation date on some lame and hollow excuses and expect the Government to come to their rescue which is nothing but delaying tactics of major e commerce players.
The CAIT said that from media reports it is learnt that such Companies want deferment of the policy primarily on the grounds that implementation of the Policy will result in to significant disruption their consumer base and secondly they have still to understand the policy and they need more time to reorganise their business modal according to norms of the policy.
CAIT National President Mr. B.C.Bhartia & Secretary General Mr. Praveen Khandelwal said that now with their own admission it has been amply clear that till now they are on the wrong side of the policy and their business modal is entirely based on malpractices which they will not be able to carry any more and they want more time to reschedule their business modal.It will be not be appropriate if Government allows time to them to cover their illegal business practices being continued since last few years.
Both trade leaders further said that what kind of significant consumer disruption they are talking about ? It is a free competitive market and if consumer is not satisfied with their business norms, he has various other avenues to fulfil his requirements. The market is not dependent upon one or two e commerce players. Its a vast market and thousands of other e commerce portals are already in the fray so what make them worry bout consumer. It is laughable and pity that to get consumers stick to their respective e commerce portal, they are demanding the protection of the Government.
Mr. Bhartia & Mr. Khandelwal said that the policy is already implemented since 2016 and the Press Note No.2 is merely a broad clarification of the policy. What is new in the policy for which they need time to understand. If they are not able to understand the policy in last more than two years it is better for them to shut their portal. The precise reason is that they even did not look at the policy in past two years and were playing the game considering Indian e commerce market as an open play ground.
The CAIT has demanded formation of a Special Investigation Team to investigate the transactions made in past two years by these e commerce players and if found guilty, stern action should be taken as per the mandate of the law. WE also reiterate our demand to form a Regulatory Authority to enforce strictly the policy and the restrictions imposed on FDI in e commerce should also be made applicable on domestic e commerce players without any discrimination and in order to have an even level paying field and fair competitive market.
