Small traders in the city are heaving a sigh of relief after the Kolkata Municipal Corporation announced a breather from paying only the trade licence fee for shops or stalls measuring less than 500 square feet.
The KMC had recently decided to increase the trade licence fee that included charges like water supply, solid waste management and so on. The increase in the trade licence fee, however, drew flak from traders from various parts of the city. The BJP councillors in the civic body also protested against the hike and submitted a letter to the municipal commissioner yesterday demanding withdrawal of the charges.
A high-level meeting including the mayor, MMiCs and other senior officials of the KMC was held yesterday at the civic body headquarters. The KMC, after the meeting, decided to withdraw the waiver for traders having shops or stalls measuring up to 500 square feet.
The relaxation, however, is not applicable for restaurants or stalls selling food that, according to KMC sources, need more water supply and solid waste management.
The decision is being hailed by the traders that fall under the category. “It is a relief for us in the prevailing times when the business is already suffering,” said a trader having a shop of about 120 square feet in New Market. “Apart from a few seasonal sales, the business is to see the figures of pre-Covid times.
Amid such situations, paying additional amounts could have brought more burdens on us,” added the shop owner selling readymade garments. Another shop owner in Gariahat, said, “The festive sale was poor this time because of heat wave conditions.
We are somehow managing to run the shop and our family with income which is not so good. The news of hike in trade licence had brought apprehensions but now the withdrawal of it has come as oxygen to us.”