With Rs 20k per plate, AAP collects Rs 50 lakh from lunch

NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party’s trade wing collected Rs 50 lakh for the upcoming Delhi assembly elections through a fundraising lunch in the capital on Sunday.
Brijesh Goyal, convener of the trade wing, said the lunch was attended by 150 small traders from across the city, each of whom paid Rs 20,000 to be a part it. “Initially, we were expecting only about 100-125 people but the response has been phenomenal.We are thinking of holding two or three similar events,” he said. The party collected close to Rs 1 crore on November 27 in a similar fundraising event in Mumbai.
Senior party members who attended the lunch included party chief Arvind Kejriwal, former MLA Manish Sisodia and Delhi state convener Ashutosh. Kejriwal announced a slew of trader-friendly measures that the party would take if voted to power. These include a vision document for which the party has invited traders to give suggestions. In fact, a segment of the AAP’s ongoing Delhi Dialogue is expected to deal with concerns of the trader community.
The party has also promised a rationalization of value added tax (VAT) in Delhi, especially for goods on which VAT is higher in Delhi compared with neighbouring states.
Kejriwal also announced the party has plans of making Delhi a “trading powerhouse by creating a trader-friendly environment”. AAP, which during its 49 days in power had abolished the audit report form and opposed foreign direct investment in retail, further said the process of payment of VAT would also be simplified. “The party proposes to initiate online payment of VAT for convenience of traders. AAP will abolish raids by VAT department inspectors that 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,” Kejriwal said.
The party also said that it would prioritize the revival of wholesale business in Delhi.