(a) whether there is any proposal to bring e-commerce operations under the Consumer Protection Law in view of the complaints of cheating and other malpractices by such companies;
(b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
(c) whether the expansion of e-commerce is also causing a loss to the State revenues; and
(d) if so, the details thereof and the corrective steps taken in this regard?
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI RAOSAHEB PATIL DANVE)
(a) & (b): Madam, e-commerce operations are already covered under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.
(c) & (d): Trading of goods by e-commerce does not attract levy of Service Tax. Goods which are imported/manufactured are cleared on payment of duty of Customs/Central Excise, as the case may be, at the time of import/clearance from the factory. Therefore, as far as the Central Government is concerned, there is no loss to indirect tax revenue due to expansion of e-commerce.