March 28, 2025

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Tea industry urges FM to digitise wage payments, extend MSME sops

A Consultative Committee of Plantation Associations (CCPA) delegation led by Indian Tea Association (ITA) Chairman Vivek Goenka fulfilled the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman listed here on Tuesday emphasising the have to have for digitising wage payments of tea yard staff.

The difficulty of activation of lender accounts of staff and setting up of ATMs and CSPs in tea gardens was stated as a precedence product.

“The conference was confident that all necessary actions would be taken by the Federal government of India to expedite this method,” mentioned a press assertion issued by ITA.

The delegation handed more than a representation to the Finance Minister which bundled a number of submissions these as exemption to the tea sector from the purview of Section 194N of the Profits Tax Act until the time the banking infrastructure in tea yard spots is improved.

The marketplace also sought for inclusion of the sector less than the Crisis Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) and termed for protection of the tea sector less than MSME schemes.

To shield the domestic tea marketplace, the delegation sought for subsisting import duty on tea at a hundred for every cent and also termed for strict enforcement of FSSAI and other foods basic safety rules on teas imported from Nepal.

To aid exports, which experienced a setback in 2020 thanks to decreased manufacturing of orthodox and superior rates of CTC, the CCPA representation highlighted the have to have for satisfactory incentivisation less than RODTEP (Remission of Obligations and Taxes on Exports Products and solutions) plan for exporters.

The export of Orthodox tea to Iran was also impacted previous yr thanks to delayed payments on the back again of depleting stability in the rupee-rial trade account. The marketplace has sought for adaptability in payment mechanism for tea exports to Iran. It has also termed for clearance of pending MEIS (Merchandise Exports from India Scheme) claims.

It also termed for settlement of pending Tea Board subsidy claims.

The CCPA representation further more mentioned that valuation of all in-kind rewards furnished by the tea plantation sector should be bundled in the definition of “wage” less than the Code on Wages, 2019. It also mentioned that all welfare provisions should be made offered to tea yard staff only by means of governing administration sponsored schemes.