In a major boost to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Rs 50 lakh was collected from city traders during the fund raising lunch with Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday. The party also collected Rs 91 lakh during a fund raising dinner in Mumbai last week.
The party hosted Rs 20,000 per head lunch for city traders. The event was planned by the traders wing of the party. The party statement said over 150 traders attended the lunch.
Arvind Kejriwal, while interacting with the traders promised rationalisation of Value Added Tax (VAT) in the national Capital by reducing it on goods in which it is higher in comparison to other states. He said the VAT rationalisation will help the traders as well as the consumers. “Both the communities are unhappy over the arbitrary manner in which this tax is currently calculated’, he said to the businessmen.
Outlining the party’s vision for traders of Delhi, the AAP convenor assured the gathering that his party is committed to make national Capital a trading power house by creating a ‘friendly’ atmosphere for them. He also promised start an online VAT payment system to simplify procedure for the traders.
“AAP will abolish raids by VAT department inspectors which are carried in the name of sudden visits. Tax collection from traders cannot be coercive, since it is counter-productive and leads to more tax evasion. Traders have to be encouraged to pay taxes on time by providing incentives and the AAP government will abolish all coercive measures currently used against traders,” he said.
Kejriwal added that his party will give priority to revive the wholesale business in Delhi and will make all possible efforts to turn the national capital into a retail hub.
This was the first in the series of fund raiser programmes to be organised by the party. The names of all the donors along with the amount donated by them will be displayed on the party website, a party spokesperson informed.
AAP plans to hold similar high-cost meals in the national Capital and Bangalore, and attempts are being made to hold one in Kolkata. The party has set a target of Rs 30 crore for the sssembly elections.