Vijayawada: Drug dealers refuse discounts

Vijayawada: Traders and sellers in the city who usually offer huge discount on products have suddenly stopped offering it in the name of Goods and Services Tax (GST). Supermarkets and malls which offer huge discounts on daily essentials have also stopped offering them after implementation of the GST and  Druggists and chemists across Krishna district are displaying “No Discount” boards in the counters.

GST is slowly showing its impact on common man. Despite an assurances from the Union government on stabilisation of prices after GST implementation, traders in the city have increased the sale price of commodities. Medical stores which usually offer discounts varying from 10 per cent to 30 per cent on drugs and nutritional supplements have now taken a decision to stop discounts and installed flex banners and posters requesting consumers not to ask for discount.

“Tax slabs on medicines increased with GST and many drugs have fallen in 28 per cent tax slabs. Maximum Retail Price printed on these drugs was not changed but invoice prices have been hiked drastically. “We have decided not to give discounts for our survival,”says drug trader J. Maruti Rao. Consumers are facing problems with the increased price of drugs. “Medicines are most essential and we have benefited with the discounts offered by drug stores earlier. Now a family with diabetic patients will at least bear a burden of '500 per month with GST,”says Annapurna.K, a homemaker.