Members of the Andhra Pradesh Footwear Manufacturers and Dealers’ Association on Saturday took out a protest rally against increasing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on footwear from 5% to 12% with effect from January 1, 2022.
The GST hike is applicable to footwear category falling under ₹1000 per pair.
Footwear manufacturers and dealers from across the State participated in the rally demanding immediate rollback of the government decision. “The footwear industry is already in a crisis for the last two years due to the effect of COVID-19. Now, if the GST is increased to 12 %, the rates of the footwear will be hiked and it will be a burden to the public as well as the industry,” said the association convener Chukkapalli Arun Kumar.
There are 700 wholesale and 6,500 retail shops of footwear across the 13 districts of the State, which provide employment to a large number of lower middle and upper middle class people, he said.
The rally started at Gymkhana grounds and culminated at Dharna Chowk passing through Hanumanpet and Alankar Road areas. Association members S. Koteswara Rao, J. Ramesh and others participated.
