As various States look to restart economic activities, Retailers Association of India (RAI) has urged State governments to permit operations of the formal retail sector which includes retail stores, malls and shopping centres. The retail industry body said this will not only ensure revival of the economy but also safeguarding the well-being of citizens.

This comes as Haryana has now allowed malls to open with conditions such as restricted timings from 10 am to 6 pm and a cap on number of visitors with one visitor per 25 sq ft.

In a statement, Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO, Retailers Association of India (RAI), said, “We believe that formal retail spaces like malls have the ability to operate as a controlled environment. The Haryana government has allowed opening of malls...This is a good move and recognition of malls as controlled spaces will be a positive step as they support the livelihood of thousands of employees. We hope other States will also follow the same method when opening up and supporting the economy.”

Also read: Retailers Association of India urges FM to step in with relief package for retailers

He added that formal retail spaces such as malls and shopping centres play an extremely important role in the economy due to their contribution to the exchequer in the form of taxes and the people they employ.

“Economic revival is intertwined with the revival of retail businesses, especially large formal retail spaces, which are the drivers of consumption. The only way of getting rid of the economic impact of pandemic and saving livelihoods is by everybody participating in sharing of the cost burden and acting to revive retail business activity,” RAI said.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW