i) Entry Tax :
The Chamber spearheaded a massive movement of trading community against the imposition of the dreaded Entry Tax in Tamilnadu in March 1983. A three day State wide - hartal and fasting of hundreds of Traders were organized. Many Trade leaders were arrested and imprisoned. Shri Rajiv Gandhi addressed the rally at Chennai. The levy of Entry Tax was subsequently withdrawn by the Tamilnadu Government.
ii) Professional Tax:
Mention should be made about the steps taken by our Chamber in 1993 for voicing an unified protest of all concerned against the implementation of the New Professional Tax Act in Tamilnadu and levying Professional Tax on the basis of turnover. A very big Trade Conference, presided over by Thiru S. Rethinavelu, was organised at Chennai Congress Grounds at Teynampet on 17.2.93 attended by lakhs & lakhs of traders and a massive rally was also taken out on that day. A delegation met the then Chief Minister Selvi J. Jayalalithaa on 10.03.1993 and represented the matter. A Three-day Bandh was observed throughout Tamilnadu on November 29, 30 and December 1, 1994 opposing the New Professional Tax Act. The Three-day Bandh was a total success. It was an historical event. Subsequently few amendments were made in the said Act.
The then President Thiru. S. Rethinavelu was nominated as a member of the Committee formed in the year 1998 by the Tamilnadu Government to review the New Profession Tax Act and recommend modifications to be made in the said Act. The report of the Committee was accepted by the Tamilnadu Government and the New Profession Tax Act was withdrawn and the Local Bodies Act was suitably amended to levy Profession Tax on the basis of income at a reasonable rate.
iii) FDI in Retail Trade :
Chamber vehemently opposed permitting of foreign direct investment in Retail Trade as it would displace lakhs and lakhs of indigenous traditional small retailers across the country. Chamber is against allowing large domestic corporates in retail trade in grocery,
fruits and vegetables. The then Chamber President Thiru S. Rethinavelu deposed before the High Level Parliamentary Standing Committee headed by Dr. Murali Manohar Joshi M.P reiterating the above mentioned demands of the Chambers. Following the chamber’s
deposition, the Committee in its report to the Union Govt. recommended to impose a blanket ban on domestic corporates and foreign retailers from entering in to retail trade in India in grocery, fruits and vegetables. Chamber president Thiru N. Jegatheesan, Former President Thiru S. Rethinavelu met Shri Prakash Karat M.P. and General Secretary
Communist of India (Marxist) during his visit to Madurai on 6.9.2012 and submitted a detailed memorandum on the ill-effects of permitting FDI in multibrand retail.