Small traders and hawkers won another battle. This time in Rajasthan. In its fifth budget, Rajasthan’s BJP government has proposed several ’small trader’ friendly proposals - including a four percent tax on fruits and vegetables sold by corporate-run food stores like Reliance Fresh and Spencers. The levy is aimed at protecting street vendors. Prabhulal Saini, Agriculture Minister, Rajasthan said, “Small vendors and traders cannot compete with big retailers. So to bridge this gap and encourage the small traders, we have made a proposal to levy 4% tax. The small vendor should be able to sell vegetables without paying tax, get concessions & earn his livelihood.

In another development, European Union (EU) calls for new supermarkets inquiry. The European Union assembly has this week called for an investigation into the practices of the larger grocery chains across the continent. The assembly said that the EU’s competition body, the European Commission, should intervene to protect consumer choice and the environment.

Reliance is close to signing an agreement with Polo Ralph Lauren, the US-based design and distribution house, known for its range of high-end casual and semi-formal clothings as well as accessories and fragrances under internationally famous luxury labels like Polo by Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Ralph Lauren, Black Label, Blue Label, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, Chaps and Club Monaco, to bring these premium products in India. However, it is noteworthy that only last week, following opposition by the Pacific Heights Neighborhood Association and the Fillmore Merchants Association, the city Planning Commission of San Francisco voted 6-1 to deny Ralph Lauren permission to open a boutique on Fillmore Street. People are battling against Ralph Lauren in San Francisco’s neighborhoods, and Pacific Heights is the front line. Ralph Lauren had signed a lease for 3,500 square feet at 2040 Fillmore St., the former site of Smith & Hawken, another chain store. The New York-based fashion retailer has long wanted to open a shop on Fillmore Street, where upscale national brands like Marc Jacobs, Simon Pearce and Jonathan Adler have rung up success and turned the neighborhood street into a shopping destination where one-off boutiques mingle with national players.  While the Planning Department had recommended the commission approve a conditional use permit for Ralph Lauren, the Fillmore Street Merchants Association has decided to oppose all future chain retail.

Subhiksha, the discount retail chain of India, moves to legal measures to get drugs as drug companies’ are refusing to sell medicines directly to corporate retailers for fear of a boycott by their current retailers and wholesalers. The large drug retailing (5.5 lakh chemists across India) and wholesale industry is extremely well organised and is able to resist corporate hijack through the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists. 

In Solidarity!

Dharmendra Kumar

Director

India FDI Watch

M-09871179084

Email:dkfordignity@yahoo.co.uk, dkfordignity@gmail.com

Small traders and hawkers won another battle. This time in Rajasthan. In its fifth budget, Rajasthan’s BJP government has proposed several ’small trader’ friendly proposals - including a four percent tax on fruits and vegetables sold by corporate-run food stores like Reliance Fresh and Spencers. The levy is aimed at protecting street vendors. Prabhulal Saini, Agriculture Minister, Rajasthan said, “Small vendors and traders cannot compete with big retailers. So to bridge this gap and encourage the small traders, we have made a proposal to levy 4% tax. The small vendor should be able to sell vegetables without paying tax, get concessions & earn his livelihood.

In another development, European Union (EU) calls for new supermarkets inquiry. The European Union assembly has this week called for an investigation into the practices of the larger grocery chains across the continent. The assembly said that the EU’s competition body, the European Commission, should intervene to protect consumer choice and the environment.

Reliance is close to signing an agreement with Polo Ralph Lauren, the US-based design and distribution house, known for its range of high-end casual and semi-formal clothings as well as accessories and fragrances under internationally famous luxury labels like Polo by Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Ralph Lauren, Black Label, Blue Label, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, Chaps and Club Monaco, to bring these premium products in India. However, it is noteworthy that only last week, following opposition by the Pacific Heights Neighborhood Association and the Fillmore Merchants Association, the city Planning Commission of San Francisco voted 6-1 to deny Ralph Lauren permission to open a boutique on Fillmore Street. People are battling against Ralph Lauren in San Francisco’s neighborhoods, and Pacific Heights is the front line. Ralph Lauren had signed a lease for 3,500 square feet at 2040 Fillmore St., the former site of Smith & Hawken, another chain store. The New York-based fashion retailer has long wanted to open a shop on Fillmore Street, where upscale national brands like Marc Jacobs, Simon Pearce and Jonathan Adler have rung up success and turned the neighborhood street into a shopping destination where one-off boutiques mingle with national players.  While the Planning Department had recommended the commission approve a conditional use permit for Ralph Lauren, the Fillmore Street Merchants Association has decided to oppose all future chain retail.

Subhiksha, the discount retail chain of India, moves to legal measures to get drugs as drug companies’ are refusing to sell medicines directly to corporate retailers for fear of a boycott by their current retailers and wholesalers. The large drug retailing (5.5 lakh chemists across India) and wholesale industry is extremely well organised and is able to resist corporate hijack through the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists. 

In Solidarity!

Dharmendra Kumar

Director

India FDI Watch

M-09871179084

Email:dkfordignity@yahoo.co.uk, dkfordignity@gmail.com

New York's City Council has passed a bill to issue 1,000 new permits for street vendors to sell fruits and vegetables in neighborhoods where fresh produce is scarce. The council voted 37-9 on Wednesday to issue the permits, which will be distributed among the five boroughs in neighborhoods where at least 15 percent of people surveyed said they had eaten no fruits or vegetables the previous 24 hours.

Department of Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said the aim of the program will be to introduce fresh produce back into neighborhoods where diabetes and obesity rates have skyrocketed. In was the latest in a series of initiatives by the administration " including a 2006 ban on trans fats and an ongoing fight to make chain restaurants post calorie counts on their menus " to make New York City healthier.

BHARTI retail banner name unveiled

According to reports, Bharti Retail may call its retail outlets - Easy Day. The company is finalising its plans for the rollout and is expected to open its first store later this year. "Easy Day was among the names being considered, adding that the company has not taken a final decision on it," the source added. Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Mittal said, "You can hear from us on the final concrete plans before April-end."

French government attacks food retailers and manufacturers :

The French government has accused food manufacturers and retailers of taking advantage of global food prices to boost their profits and has threatened action against such market “abuses†. Francois Fillon, prime minister, said the government would investigate why prices had risen faster in France than in neighbouring European countries. "There have clearly been abuses on the part of manufacturers and retailers who are profiting from the rises in commodity prices to increase their margins," he said. Retailers rejected the accusation saying that they had already cut their margins to stem price rises.

TESCO accused of setting up offshore tax avoidance scheme :

According to reports in The Times, Tesco has set up an elaborate offshore tax avoidance scheme which could see the retailer avoid paying as much as GBP1 billion (USD2 billion) of tax on profits from the sale and leaseback of its UK properties to external investors through the use of a number of companies in the Cayman Islands. The story cited a Tesco spokesman as saying the allegations were "wrong... Far from avoiding tax, Tesco is a top ten UK taxpayer, contributing more than GBP1 billion (USD2 billion) to the Exchequer last year. The profits from Tesco's share in these offshore property partnerships are included in full in Tesco's UK tax returns and the details of the agreements have been provided to Her Majestys Revenue & Customs department."

Organised Retail sector seeks industry status in this budget

FICCI had prepared a charter of demands for the US$ 12 billion "organised retail sector", which is currently growing at 30-35% per annum.

Here is a list of major demands :

· The sector should be granted industry status.

· Uniform tax structure should be implemented. Gradual shift from the various state taxes to uniform tax would result in ease in sourcing goods efficiently and in turn aid the growth of the retail sector. The introduction of VAT in all states would result into the scrapping of differential sales tax prevailing in different states on the same product.

· Allow retailers to adjust the service tax on all inputs (rents and telephone) against the sales tax they collect from customers. The retailers who pay the state VAT do not have any output service tax against which they can set off service tax paid by them.

· Eliminate multiple licenses and clearances. Retailers need to obtain licenses and permits such as basic trading licenses, product specific licenses, pollution clearances etc for every retail outlet (even its a chain store). This only delays the opening of stores and increases cost.

· FDI limit should be further liberalised, which will ensure development of robust cold chain system, bets retailing practices and wide range of goods and services at competitive prices. It will also bring along with it increased focus on farmer education and training resulting into better crop/ yield management practices. 100% FDI in multi brand retailing must be allowed in certain areas such as electronics, automobiles, sports goods etc.

In Solidarity!

Dharmendra Kumar

Director

India FDI Watch

M-09871179084

Email:dkfordignity@yahoo.co.uk, dkfordignity@gmail.com

New York's City Council has passed a bill to issue 1,000 new permits for street vendors to sell fruits and vegetables in neighborhoods where fresh produce is scarce. The council voted 37-9 on Wednesday to issue the permits, which will be distributed among the five boroughs in neighborhoods where at least 15 percent of people surveyed said they had eaten no fruits or vegetables the previous 24 hours.

Department of Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said the aim of the program will be to introduce fresh produce back into neighborhoods where diabetes and obesity rates have skyrocketed. In was the latest in a series of initiatives by the administration " including a 2006 ban on trans fats and an ongoing fight to make chain restaurants post calorie counts on their menus " to make New York City healthier.

BHARTI retail banner name unveiled

According to reports, Bharti Retail may call its retail outlets - Easy Day. The company is finalising its plans for the rollout and is expected to open its first store later this year. "Easy Day was among the names being considered, adding that the company has not taken a final decision on it," the source added. Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Mittal said, "You can hear from us on the final concrete plans before April-end."

French government attacks food retailers and manufacturers :

The French government has accused food manufacturers and retailers of taking advantage of global food prices to boost their profits and has threatened action against such market “abuses†. Francois Fillon, prime minister, said the government would investigate why prices had risen faster in France than in neighbouring European countries. "There have clearly been abuses on the part of manufacturers and retailers who are profiting from the rises in commodity prices to increase their margins," he said. Retailers rejected the accusation saying that they had already cut their margins to stem price rises.

TESCO accused of setting up offshore tax avoidance scheme :

According to reports in The Times, Tesco has set up an elaborate offshore tax avoidance scheme which could see the retailer avoid paying as much as GBP1 billion (USD2 billion) of tax on profits from the sale and leaseback of its UK properties to external investors through the use of a number of companies in the Cayman Islands. The story cited a Tesco spokesman as saying the allegations were "wrong... Far from avoiding tax, Tesco is a top ten UK taxpayer, contributing more than GBP1 billion (USD2 billion) to the Exchequer last year. The profits from Tesco's share in these offshore property partnerships are included in full in Tesco's UK tax returns and the details of the agreements have been provided to Her Majestys Revenue & Customs department."

Organised Retail sector seeks industry status in this budget

FICCI had prepared a charter of demands for the US$ 12 billion "organised retail sector", which is currently growing at 30-35% per annum.

Here is a list of major demands :

· The sector should be granted industry status.

· Uniform tax structure should be implemented. Gradual shift from the various state taxes to uniform tax would result in ease in sourcing goods efficiently and in turn aid the growth of the retail sector. The introduction of VAT in all states would result into the scrapping of differential sales tax prevailing in different states on the same product.

· Allow retailers to adjust the service tax on all inputs (rents and telephone) against the sales tax they collect from customers. The retailers who pay the state VAT do not have any output service tax against which they can set off service tax paid by them.

· Eliminate multiple licenses and clearances. Retailers need to obtain licenses and permits such as basic trading licenses, product specific licenses, pollution clearances etc for every retail outlet (even its a chain store). This only delays the opening of stores and increases cost.

· FDI limit should be further liberalised, which will ensure development of robust cold chain system, bets retailing practices and wide range of goods and services at competitive prices. It will also bring along with it increased focus on farmer education and training resulting into better crop/ yield management practices. 100% FDI in multi brand retailing must be allowed in certain areas such as electronics, automobiles, sports goods etc.

In Solidarity!

Dharmendra Kumar

Director

India FDI Watch

M-09871179084

Email:dkfordignity@yahoo.co.uk, dkfordignity@gmail.com

New York's City Council has passed a bill to issue 1,000 new permits for street vendors to sell fruits and vegetables in neighborhoods where fresh produce is scarce. The council voted 37-9 on Wednesday to issue the permits, which will be distributed among the five boroughs in neighborhoods where at least 15 percent of people surveyed said they had eaten no fruits or vegetables the previous 24 hours.

Department of Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said the aim of the program will be to introduce fresh produce back into neighborhoods where diabetes and obesity rates have skyrocketed. In was the latest in a series of initiatives by the administration " including a 2006 ban on trans fats and an ongoing fight to make chain restaurants post calorie counts on their menus " to make New York City healthier.

BHARTI retail banner name unveiled

According to reports, Bharti Retail may call its retail outlets - Easy Day. The company is finalising its plans for the rollout and is expected to open its first store later this year. "Easy Day was among the names being considered, adding that the company has not taken a final decision on it," the source added. Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Mittal said, "You can hear from us on the final concrete plans before April-end."

French government attacks food retailers and manufacturers :

The French government has accused food manufacturers and retailers of taking advantage of global food prices to boost their profits and has threatened action against such market “abuses†. Francois Fillon, prime minister, said the government would investigate why prices had risen faster in France than in neighbouring European countries. "There have clearly been abuses on the part of manufacturers and retailers who are profiting from the rises in commodity prices to increase their margins," he said. Retailers rejected the accusation saying that they had already cut their margins to stem price rises.

TESCO accused of setting up offshore tax avoidance scheme :

According to reports in The Times, Tesco has set up an elaborate offshore tax avoidance scheme which could see the retailer avoid paying as much as GBP1 billion (USD2 billion) of tax on profits from the sale and leaseback of its UK properties to external investors through the use of a number of companies in the Cayman Islands. The story cited a Tesco spokesman as saying the allegations were "wrong... Far from avoiding tax, Tesco is a top ten UK taxpayer, contributing more than GBP1 billion (USD2 billion) to the Exchequer last year. The profits from Tesco's share in these offshore property partnerships are included in full in Tesco's UK tax returns and the details of the agreements have been provided to Her Majestys Revenue & Customs department."

Organised Retail sector seeks industry status in this budget

FICCI had prepared a charter of demands for the US$ 12 billion "organised retail sector", which is currently growing at 30-35% per annum.

Here is a list of major demands :

· The sector should be granted industry status.

· Uniform tax structure should be implemented. Gradual shift from the various state taxes to uniform tax would result in ease in sourcing goods efficiently and in turn aid the growth of the retail sector. The introduction of VAT in all states would result into the scrapping of differential sales tax prevailing in different states on the same product.

· Allow retailers to adjust the service tax on all inputs (rents and telephone) against the sales tax they collect from customers. The retailers who pay the state VAT do not have any output service tax against which they can set off service tax paid by them.

· Eliminate multiple licenses and clearances. Retailers need to obtain licenses and permits such as basic trading licenses, product specific licenses, pollution clearances etc for every retail outlet (even its a chain store). This only delays the opening of stores and increases cost.

· FDI limit should be further liberalised, which will ensure development of robust cold chain system, bets retailing practices and wide range of goods and services at competitive prices. It will also bring along with it increased focus on farmer education and training resulting into better crop/ yield management practices. 100% FDI in multi brand retailing must be allowed in certain areas such as electronics, automobiles, sports goods etc.

In Solidarity!

Dharmendra Kumar

Director

India FDI Watch

M-09871179084

Email:dkfordignity@yahoo.co.uk, dkfordignity@gmail.com

Small traders and hawkers won another battle. This time in Rajasthan. In its fifth budget, Rajasthan's BJP government has proposed several 'small trader' friendly proposals - including a four percent tax on fruits and vegetables sold by corporate-run food stores like Reliance Fresh and Spencers. The levy is aimed at protecting street vendors. Prabhulal Saini, Agriculture Minister, Rajasthan said, “Small vendors and traders cannot compete with big retailers. So to bridge this gap and encourage the small traders, we have made a proposal to levy 4% tax. The small vendor should be able to sell vegetables without paying tax, get concessions & earn his livelihood.

In another development, European Union (EU) calls for new supermarkets inquiry. The European Union assembly has this week called for an investigation into the practices of the larger grocery chains across the continent. The assembly said that the EU's competition body, the European Commission, should intervene to protect consumer choice and the environment.

Reliance is close to signing an agreement with Polo Ralph Lauren, the US-based design and distribution house, known for its range of high-end casual and semi-formal clothings as well as accessories and fragrances under internationally famous luxury labels like Polo by Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Ralph Lauren, Black Label, Blue Label, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, Chaps and Club Monaco, to bring these premium products in India. However, it is noteworthy that only last week, following opposition by the Pacific Heights Neighborhood Association and the Fillmore Merchants Association, the city Planning Commission of San Francisco voted 6-1 to deny Ralph Lauren permission to open a boutique on Fillmore Street. People are battling against Ralph Lauren in San Francisco's neighborhoods, and Pacific Heights is the front line. Ralph Lauren had signed a lease for 3,500 square feet at 2040 Fillmore St., the former site of Smith & Hawken, another chain store. The New York-based fashion retailer has long wanted to open a shop on Fillmore Street, where upscale national brands like Marc Jacobs, Simon Pearce and Jonathan Adler have rung up success and turned the neighborhood street into a shopping destination where one-off boutiques mingle with national players. While the Planning Department had recommended the commission approve a conditional use permit for Ralph Lauren, the Fillmore Street Merchants Association has decided to oppose all future chain retail.

Subhiksha, the discount retail chain of India, moves to legal measures to get drugs as drug companies’ are refusing to sell medicines directly to corporate retailers for fear of a boycott by their current retailers and wholesalers. The large drug retailing (5.5 lakh chemists across India) and wholesale industry is extremely well organised and is able to resist corporate hijack through the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists.

In Solidarity!

Dharmendra Kumar

Director

India FDI Watch

M-09871179084

Email:dkfordignity@yahoo.co.uk, dkfordignity@gmail.com

Small traders and hawkers won another battle. This time in Rajasthan. In its fifth budget, Rajasthan's BJP government has proposed several 'small trader' friendly proposals - including a four percent tax on fruits and vegetables sold by corporate-run food stores like Reliance Fresh and Spencers. The levy is aimed at protecting street vendors. Prabhulal Saini, Agriculture Minister, Rajasthan said, “Small vendors and traders cannot compete with big retailers. So to bridge this gap and encourage the small traders, we have made a proposal to levy 4% tax. The small vendor should be able to sell vegetables without paying tax, get concessions & earn his livelihood.

In another development, European Union (EU) calls for new supermarkets inquiry. The European Union assembly has this week called for an investigation into the practices of the larger grocery chains across the continent. The assembly said that the EU's competition body, the European Commission, should intervene to protect consumer choice and the environment.

Reliance is close to signing an agreement with Polo Ralph Lauren, the US-based design and distribution house, known for its range of high-end casual and semi-formal clothings as well as accessories and fragrances under internationally famous luxury labels like Polo by Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Ralph Lauren, Black Label, Blue Label, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, Chaps and Club Monaco, to bring these premium products in India. However, it is noteworthy that only last week, following opposition by the Pacific Heights Neighborhood Association and the Fillmore Merchants Association, the city Planning Commission of San Francisco voted 6-1 to deny Ralph Lauren permission to open a boutique on Fillmore Street. People are battling against Ralph Lauren in San Francisco's neighborhoods, and Pacific Heights is the front line. Ralph Lauren had signed a lease for 3,500 square feet at 2040 Fillmore St., the former site of Smith & Hawken, another chain store. The New York-based fashion retailer has long wanted to open a shop on Fillmore Street, where upscale national brands like Marc Jacobs, Simon Pearce and Jonathan Adler have rung up success and turned the neighborhood street into a shopping destination where one-off boutiques mingle with national players. While the Planning Department had recommended the commission approve a conditional use permit for Ralph Lauren, the Fillmore Street Merchants Association has decided to oppose all future chain retail.

Subhiksha, the discount retail chain of India, moves to legal measures to get drugs as drug companies’ are refusing to sell medicines directly to corporate retailers for fear of a boycott by their current retailers and wholesalers. The large drug retailing (5.5 lakh chemists across India) and wholesale industry is extremely well organised and is able to resist corporate hijack through the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists.

In Solidarity!

Dharmendra Kumar

Director

India FDI Watch

M-09871179084

Email:dkfordignity@yahoo.co.uk, dkfordignity@gmail.com