Union minister of state for commerce and power Jairam Ramesh has assured Coimbatore tea traders that he would take up with the prime minister, who also holds the finance portfolio, their appeal to bring down from four per cent to one per cent, the VAT for tea traded through auction, as prevailing in some other States.

Responding to the appeal made by Tea Traders Association of Coimbatore, after inaugurating the web based E-auction facility, Jairam said that the issue would be put forward to the VAT committee, headed by Ashim Dasgupta, West Bengal finance minister.

Posted: 12|21|08 at 1:47 pm. Filed under: Asia.