Ooty: A E Joseph, president of the United Planters’ Association of South India(UPASI), said that that the plantation industry feels neglected in the union budget 2019-20 as there was nothing specific to help the tea, coffee, rubber and spices sectors which are in severe crisis.
Responding to the Union budget 2019-20, he said the main issues highlighted by UPASI in its wish list submitted to the Union Finance Minister Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman, included abolition of Rule 7B(1) of Income Tax Rules, 1962 to enable the coffee growers to sell coffee directly after curing thereby moving up the value chain.
This would have helped growers getting better share in value realisation and was in line with the Government’s vision of doubling the farmers income by 2022, if Rule 7B(1) was abolished, he noted.
Other points flagged by UPASI were safeguarding the rubber growers from surge in imports and increasing the allocation of funds to Commodity Boards. While status quo was maintained as far as the Natural Rubber import duty is concerned, there was no increase in allocation of funds to the Commodity Boards, he regretted.
The UPASI chief expressed the hope that in arriving at the criterion for national minimum wage proposed in the budget, the plantation sector already providing for medical and housing facilities free to workers will be taken into account. Or else, their costs will get unmanageable, he said.
Similarly, TDS at two per cent on cash withdrawal above `1 crore in a year will have liquidity issues in the plantation sector, he added.
