Small scale traders rue lack of welfare measures

The Union Budget evoked mixed reactions among traders and the representatives of the health industry here. The Budget completely ignored the small-scale traders, said a release quoting S.S. Manoj, State president of the Confederation of All India Traders. There was no welfare measure for the eight crore-odd small and medium scale traders in the country. It is disappointing to see that the Finance Minister failed to announce any changes in the GST Act, he said.

Raju Apsara, State president of the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samiti, said there was nothing in the Budget that provided relief to the community of traders. The traders, especially in the small and medium scale sector, had expected some kind of relief from the complex GST law, he said.

A positive note

Adeeb Ahamed, Managing Director of LuLu Financial Holdings, said in a release that it was a balanced Budget, with equal focus on traditional and emerging sectors. The move to ramp up the credit guarantee scheme for MSMEs would give a fillip to enabling faster access to financial services, he said.

Azad Moopen, Managing Director of Aster DM Healthcare, said the Budget had addressed the shortage of nursing staff in the health-care industry, through the announcement to start 157 nursing colleges alongside existing medical colleges. However, the overall impetus for the healthcare delivery sector was missing. “We were hoping for an increase in Budget allocation for the industry,” he said.