We Are Being Tortured By Taxmen: AP Traders

Small retail traders from northern Andhra Pradesh and East and West Godavari districts described the TDP government as hell at a meeting conducted by finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu in Vishakapatnam on Wednesday.Voicing their grievances at the meeting, traders said the sales tax officials are harassing them in the name of waybills, local waybills and jumbling and they also threatened that they have no option but to close their businesses and end lives if the government torture continues. They said after bifurcation of the state, small businesses are facing lots of problems as people's purchasing capacity had dropped drastically. On top of it, the tax officials are demanding advance way bills and treating small traders like thieves, they resented.

While a waybill is required for the goods transported by trucks, the officials are demanding waybills for small stocks transported on rikshaws, said Paluri Suryanarayana, a representative of Vishaka Steel and Cement Association. Another participant Asish Kumar, co-chairman of Vizianagaram district Chamber of Commerce, said huge targets are set for tax officials for backward districts on par with commercial districts and as result the traders are facing pressure from the officials.

Yanamala Urges Traders to Pay Taxes

Even after listening to their long list of grievances, finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu asked traders to pay taxes within stipulated time as the government is in need of money. He said there won't be any harassment if they pay taxes on time and added that the government is planning to introduce an automatic tax deduction system. There are dues to the tune of Rs2,000 crore from businessmen and traders in the state. Three trade centers of each 500 acres in Vishakapatnam, Tirupati and Vijayawada will be constructed, the minister said. Commercial tax department commissioner Shyamala Rao and other officials participated.