Piyush Goyal asks traders to promote swadeshi by selling and consuming local goods
Goyal urged domestic traders to pay heed to the call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to promote swadeshi products.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal had asked the traders to promote swadeshi by selling and consuming local products, saying it will help in boosting economic growth to double digits.
He exhorted domestic traders to pay heed to the call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to promote swadeshi products.
"If traders start using swadeshi (indigenous) goods, sell swadeshi products and promote those items, the economic growth will boom. No one can stop us from growing at seven, eight, and nine per cent and double digits," Goyal said here while addressing members of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT).
Modi in one of his 'Mann Ki Baat' programmes had called upon people to promote indigenous products.
The minister also asked CAIT to prepare a data base of a number of shops and people employed in those establishments in the country as that data will help the government implement demands made by the traders community effectively.
On this, CAIT said it will start the work soon and will prepare the data base in the next six months.
Goyal said data is essential for the government to prepare schemes and programmes for welfare of people but regretted that some people are opposing National Population Register.
For exports, he said the ministry is working on a scheme to enhance credit for exporters.
He also emphasised on using quality and standard products.
He said the US has over 800 SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) and TBT (technical barriers to trade) protocols, but India has less than 500.
CAIT also "strongly condemned" the decision of the Gujarat government for a pact between Gujarat State Handloom and Handicrafts Development Cooperation Ltd (GSHHDC) and ecommerce giant Flipkart.
CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said,
It is extremely unfortunate and regrettable that on one hand Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has publicly expressed his concerns for the unethical and unlawful business practices being carried out on Flipkart, and on the other hand Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has joined hands with Flipkart".
The report came right after a day when Flipkart announced its partnership with Gujarat handloom and handicrafts organisation to empower artisans and craftsmen.
(Disclaimer: Additional background information has been added to this PTI copy for context)
