The Budget 2016-17 presented by Finance Minister, Dr Haseeb A Drabu evoked mixed response from the valley traders who while appreciating it said that their several demands have been ignored.President of Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Mushtaq Ahmad Wani told KNS that they are satisfied with the Budget but various demands put forth during pre-budget meeting have been ignored by the government.He said that the budget 2016-17 presented by the Finance Minister needs appreciation on several points, including waiving off fee for girl students, brand promotion, additional amount of Rs. 5 crore for a dedicated city bus service for women in Srinagar and Jammu cities and a provision to provide exclusive women toilets in the entire state, district and sub district hospitals and a debt waiver scheme for houseboat owners, which was the long pending demand of the traders are appreciable steps.He said that KCCI in the pre-budget meeting demanded that the artisans should be given 50 per cent waive off like Kissans were given but unfortunately that demand was not fulfilled.“The government has mentioned artisans in the budget but as far as my views are concerned artisans won’t feel a sigh of relief with it,” he said.
Wani told KNS that the five per cent tax on aviation fuel announced by the finance minister will definitely affect tourism sector of the state. “We appeal the government to reconsider such kind of issues, which will directly or indirectly affect the people associated with tourism sector,” he said.President, Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF), Muhammad Yasin Khan while terming the budget 2016-17 as “visionless document” said that the enhancement of tax for non-luxurious products to 14.5 per cent is against their aspirations.He told KNS that the government has failed to uplift the schemes for the valley traders. “We demand that the government should at earliest rollback order of enhancement of 14.5 per cent tax over non-luxurious items for the betterment of valley traders,” Khan said, adding that they are not satisfied with the budget presented by the finance minister at all.Meanwhile, Chairman, Jammu and Kashmir Hoteliers Club (JKHC), Mushtaq Ahmad Chaya has said the finance minister has incorporated the suggestions the Hoteliers’ Club had put forth during the pre-budget meetings.“We are thankful to finance minister for rationalizing the VAT on cooked food items in hotels, restaurants and exempting the toll for one year on raw materials and finished products for hotels, lodges and guesthouses,” Chaya said. (KNS)