MCD tax hike to impact traders recovering from COVID: Pathak

New Delhi: The AAP attacked the BJP on Friday for putting thousands of businesses under threat by arbitrarily hiking taxes in the state. As per the AAP, BJP-ruled MCD is planning to destroy every single businessman of Delhi by arbitrarily hiking trade and storage license fees by several

thousands.

AAP MLA and MCD in-charge Durgesh Pathak lashed out at the BJP saying that in the 2017 BJP manifesto, there was no mention of imposing any new tax, but after the formation of their government, the BJP ruled MCD is continuously increasing taxes.

Asserting that traders are still suffering the consequences of COVID-19 yet the BJP is doing injustice to them, Pathak said, "Trade and storage licence fee was Rs 500, BJP has increased it to about Rs 1 lakh. Earlier, there was a trade licence fee of Rs 500 for a shop of upto 10 square metres, now it has been increased to Rs 4,000. Licence fee for shops upto 10-20 square metres hiked from Rs 500 to

Rs 10,000. Licence fee for 21-400 square metre shops of Rs 500 increased to Rs 21,000.

"For shops with an area of more than 400 square metres, a licence fee of Rs 72,000 will now have to be paid. AAP demands BJP-ruled MCD to roll back the hikes and protect the traders from being harmed."