AAP launches Trade wing, promises to bring down VAT

New Delhi, Nov 8: In a bid to woo Delhi's trader community, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today launched its Trade Wing and promised to bring down VAT rates to the "lowest in India in the next five years", if it came to power.

AAP's national convener Arvind Kejriwal also vowed to simplify of the Value-Added Tax (VAT) processes, abolish Inspector Raj, and introduce online application system.

"During our 49-day government, we had taken many steps for the betterment of traders. When we come to power again, the Inspecter Raj will be finished, the entire system will be made online. We will use technology. You (traders) will not need to go to any department," Kejriwal told a gathering of traders. He further said that VAT rates in Delhi were higher than the neighbouring states and this was the reason why the trade was going out of the city to these states.

"Delhi used to be a hub of traders, it used to have a distributive character and goods used be sent out from here to be distributed to Haryana, Punjab, etc. I want to assure you that in five years, Delhi will have the lowest VAT rates in India," the former Delhi chief minister said. He alleged that BJP had treated traders as its "votebank" till now and remembered them only during polls.

Meanwhile, during the gathering, one Tarun Yadav raised a furore by alleging that former AAP leader Girish Soni "has taken illegal support over a part of his property", but Kejriwal dismissed it saying, "These people have been sent by other political party, they will do such things. A number of people have given me representation, if he wanted it, he could have done it."

PTI