Context: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has constituted the National Traders' Welfare Board for the welfare of traders and their employees.
Functions of National Traders' Welfare Board
NTWB will advise government on the following:
- Identify policy measures to achieve the objective of welfare of traders and their employees.
- Suggest simplifications in the Acts and Rules applicable to traders.
- Make recommendations to reduce the compliance burden of traders.
- Improve access to funds for traders.
- Make recommendations regarding social security benefits like insurance, pension, healthcare etc. for traders and their employees.
- Make recommendations to address any other problems and issues of traders and their employees.
Membership of National Traders' Welfare Board
- Headed by a person capable of representing the issues of traders (Non-official) - Chairperson to be nominated by Central Government. (Mr. Sunil J. Singhi has been nominated as the Chairperson of the NTWB),
- Up to 5 members having special knowledge of matters relating to technical or other aspects of retail trade (non-official) - to be nominated by Central Government.
- Up to 10 members representing trade associations (non-official)
- One non-official member representing each State and UT.
- 9 Ex-officio representatives from Ministries/Departments.
- Joint Secretary, DPIIT (dealing with internal trade) is the convener of the board.
Internal Trade
- DPIIT under Ministry of Commerce and Industry is the nodal department for dealing with issues of internal trade.
- NTWB has requested State Governments to constitute such State Level Boards and District Level Committees for Retail Traders.