Mizoram First, an organisation focused on the socio-economic progress of the State, on Tuesday held an interaction with media persons during which it released findings of a survey highlighting the extent of non-Mizo participation in retail trade in parts of Aizawl.
The organisation said the survey was conducted in October 2025 across 24 localities between Kulikawn and Zemabawk to assess the number of shops owned or operated by non-Mizos. According to the findings, a total of 122 shops in the surveyed areas were found to be run by non-Mizos.
Mizoram First claimed that 76.2 percent of these shops are registered in the names of Mizo owners, while the actual shopkeepers and operators are non-Mizos.
This, the organisation said, indicates that while ownership appears local on paper, the profits and operational control lie largely with non-Mizo operators.
The survey further found that these 122 shops employ 342 non-Mizo workers, of whom 34 percent were unable to produce valid Inner Line Permits (ILP). The majority of such workers were reportedly from Assam and Bihar.
Raising concerns over tax compliance, Mizoram First stated that only 39.3 percent of the surveyed shops were paying GST, and that 94 percent had not displayed GST registration certificates.
The organisation expressed doubts regarding the accuracy of self-declared annual turnovers and alleged that substantial tax revenue that should accrue to the government may be going uncollected.
According to the survey, non-Mizo traders exercise significant control over the supply of essential goods, including construction materials such as cement, rods and hardware, as well as groceries. “Most of the larger shops dealing in essential commodities are in the hands of non-Mizos,” the organisation claimed.
Mizoram First said the findings indicate that manual vigilance alone is inadequate to protect the local economy and called for the adoption of digital monitoring systems.
Among its key recommendations was the introduction of a real-time digital ILP monitoring system, linking ILP holders to their workplaces and tracking permit validity through a centralised database. The organisation also suggested a separate category for Tourist ILPs and mandatory ILP verification by hotels, homestays and landlords.
It further proposed digital business mapping, wherein trade and shop licences would be digitally linked not only to the registered owner but also to the actual operator, to identify cases where businesses are operated by non-Mizos under Mizo names.
Mizoram First also called for automated compliance systems to link trade licences with tax filings, enabling quicker identification of GST evasion or under-reporting. It urged concerned departments to strengthen enforcement using technology-driven solutions.
Summarising its findings, the organisation said that even a limited survey within Aizawl city revealed extensive non-Mizo dominance in trade, widespread tax evasion, and weak monitoring mechanisms. It warned that continued inaction could lead to what it termed “economic assimilation”, where Mizos remain nominal owners of land and businesses while economic control rests elsewhere.
The organisation clarified that its concerns were not driven by hostility towards any community but by the need to safeguard the economic future of the Mizo people, particularly the younger generation.
Mizoram First said it has submitted its recommendations in writing to the concerned departments, Home, ICT, Tourism and Taxation, and has also forwarded the report to the Chief Minister and senior officials.
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