GUWAHATI, June 15 � The Federation of All India Tea Traders� Association (FAITTA), the apex body of the Indian tea traders, has assured of support to the tea auction centre at Jorhat proposed by the Tea Board of India. In response to the demand of the State�s tea planters, the Tea Board has by now called for expression of interest for setting up this tea auction centre.
The State�s tea industry has been arguing that considering the about three-fold rise in the volume of produce of the State�s tea industry in 2013 to the tune of 622 million kg, compared to that of about 215 million kg in 1970, a tea auction centre at Jorhat has become a must. In 1970, the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre was established.
FAITTA honorary secretary Chetan Patel told this correspondent over phone from Jorhat that since the proposed tea auction centre will be located at Jorhat, it will facilitate transporting the tea procured here in a shorter span of time to the marketing destinations of the buyers. Patel is in the State in connection with the two-day buyers-sellers meet organised by the North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) at Golaghat since June 13.
GST Bill: The FAITTA secretary expressed the apprehension that the Goods and Product Tax Bill or GST Bill, officially known as The Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill, 2014, is going to burden the tea industry of the country with heavy tax load. The proposed tax under this Bill, already passed by the Lok Sabha, is around 27 per cent.
Though the Union Finance Minister has stated that this would be brought down to 17 per cent eventually, this is not going to dispel the apprehension of those connected with tea industry. The Bill is expected to be in force with effect from April 1, 2016, he said.
