Hyderabad, February 1, 2026: On behalf of the trading community of the Telangana State
Federation of Chambers of Commerce & Trade (TSFCCT), Secunderabad, the President, Sri Ammanabolu Prakash, addressing a press meet held on 1st February 2026 at Hotel Raj Classic Inn, near Paradise Circle, welcomed the intent of the Budget aimed at accelerating economic growth and strengthening infrastructure.
However, he expressed concern that critical ground-level challenges faced by traders have not been adequately addressed. Traders play a pivotal role as drivers of employment generation, GST revenue, and supply-chain efficiency, yet continue to remain under represented in policy focus and consultations.
Highlighting GST-related issues, Sri Prakash stated that frequent notices, return mismatches, fear of penalties, and delays in input tax credit refunds are severely impacting traders’ working capital. He urged the government to introduce quarterly GST returns for small traders, ensure faster and automated refunds, and establish trader-friendly GST help desks.
He further pointed out that compliance requirements are disproportionately burdensome,
with small traders facing the same regulatory load as large corporations with turnovers running into hundreds of crores. Simplified compliance norms for traders with smaller turnovers are urgently required.
Beyond GST, traders continue to bear hidden taxation burdens in the form of multiple local
taxes, licenses, renewal fees, and inspections, often leading to harassment. The Federation
demanded a single annual license system for traders, supported by a dedicated online platform.
Rising costs of doing business—due to increased electricity tariffs, transportation and logistics expenses, and compliance costs—are shrinking margins for traders. In this context, the Federation strongly demanded a power tariff subsidy for commercial traders.
A major concern raised was the unfair competition from large e-commerce platforms, where deep discounting practices and weak enforcement of e-commerce rules are adversely impacting small and retail traders. The Federation called for strict implementation of e-commerce policies to ensure a level playing field between online and offline trade.
Sri Prakash emphasized that traders are rarely consulted before policy formulation, leading to a disconnect between policy assumptions and local market realities. He proposed the formation of National and State-level Traders’ Advisory Councils to institutionalize dialogue.
He also highlighted the neglect of urban market infrastructure, including parking, warehousing, fire safety, sanitation, and digital facilities. To improve awareness and access, he recommended a separate dedicated portal for traders covering subsidies, credit schemes, and government support programs. The Federation sought interest subsidies on loans for small traders.
Concluding, he stressed that announcements alone do not translate into outcomes. Traders are partners in economic growth, not merely taxpayers. Ease of Doing Business must reach the shop floor. The Federation demanded interest subvention on working capital loans, power tariff and municipal tax support, digital adoption incentives, insurance premium subsidies, and comprehensive market infrastructure development.
“Traders are the backbone of the economy—creating jobs, sustaining supply chains, and
contributing significant tax revenue. Growth-oriented policies must be matched with ground- level implementation, fair competition, and meaningful consultation. Ease of Doing Business should be felt at the shop floor, not just reflected in policy documents.” Said, Ammanabolu Prakash, President, Telangana State Federation of Chambers of Commerce & Trade.
