Timber merchants in Kozhikode, India, are demanding help in the face of high sales taxes.
The Kozhikode Timber Merchants Association have told the Kerala state government that hundreds of jobs have been lost because of the 4% central sales tax on timber brought from Mangalore or Thoothukuddi and a 13.8% local sales tax.
Traders contrast their position with the plywood industry which only pays a 3% charge. Several timber companies are reportedly using registration numbers of plywood merchants to escape the higher tax.
The association wants to see a uniform 5% tax on all sections of the timber industry until March 31.
