Hotels and pharmacies on strike today (30th May)
Posted on: 30/May/2017 11:28:22 AM
Protesting against the proposed GST, the hotels in Tamil Nadu will remain closed today (Tuesday, 30th May). At the same time, protesting against online sales of medicines and drugs, it is announced that all the pharmacies/chemists shops will also remain closed today.
According to the proposed GST, ordinary hotels will be charged 12% GST. Air-conditioned hotels will have 18% GST.
GST is set to be implemented from 1st July. Protesting against the proposed increased GST, 1.5 Lakhs hotels in Tamil Nadu and 5 lakhs hotels in South India will remain closed today.
The Hotel owners have expressed their observation that with increased taxes in hotels, the public will prefer to go to the roadside eateries.
They observe that as it is only a general routine to provide the They air-conditioning facility in hotels, the charge of 18% GST is quite excessive.
The Tamil Nadu Hotel Owners Association has demanded that all GST taxes proposed for hotels must be totally withdrawn in the GST Council meeting scheduled on 3rd June.
Meanwhile, protesting against the central government decision to allow online sales of medicines and drugs, it has been announced that all the pharmacies and chemists shops, 30000 in Tamil Nadu and 5 Lakhs throughout India, will remain closed today.
The pharmacists and medicine traders informed that the licence fees for medical shops have been increased from Rs. 3000 to Rs. 30000, Further, foreign investments is to be allowed.
They objected to the proposed permission for online sales of medicine as this would allow the scope for medicine barred expiry dates to be sold online and the fake doctors may use this may buy medicine online for wrong treatments.
Though the medical shops may be closed today, the pharmacies attached to the government and private and government hospitals will be open.
