The Government of India is extensively working to defer the Press Note 2, 2018 for the implementation of the e-commerce policy for three-four months as it is under pressure from Washington, said Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) in a letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.
"Swadeshi Jagran Manch is writing to you after we received news from various quarters that the government is thinking of deferring the Press Note 2, 2018 under pressure from Washington. We understand that some of the officials are working under the influence of the regime in Washington to defer the implementation of the e-commerce policy for three-four months," the letter by SJM co-convener Ashwani Mahajan read.
The SJM underlined in the letter that by giving any relief to foreign e-commerce giants and deferring Press Note 2 would benefit the MNCs entering into multi-brand retail against 13 crore people earning their livelihood from retail business and a large number of small manufacturers, who have got a ray of hope for their existence by Press Note 2.
The SJM also reminded the Prime Minister of an electoral promise made by his party Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) in 2014 that it would halt the charge of these companies in the multi-brand retail.
The SJM sought the direct intervention of the government to halt mischievous endeavours of the US. "The SJM believed that the US circumvents the law by using ambiguities in the Press Note 3 of 2016 to make entries in the Indian market via digital mode."
"The Press Note 2 December 2018, plugged the loopholes and clarified most of the grey areas. We seek your direct intervention to halt this mischievous endeavour, which will only help two multi-national companies, Amazon and Walmart. Both these companies have made their entries and existence by violating and circumventing the law," the SJM further reads.
According to the SJM, the Centre's direct intervention will not only help India at various multi-laterals but also offer a level playing field for the indigenous players. Most of the domestic and indigenous players who have actually welcomed the stated e-commerce policy are marred with unfair trade practices adopted by these MNCs.
The SJM also asserted that its research has shown that these players have invested very less in the e-commerce business, however, they have put in most of their funds in the wholesale business logistic company and payment wallets.
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