RAI urges Maharashtra govt to consider reopening of malls, shopping centres
The closure has affected all the businesses associated with malls which have about 200 retail stores operating in it and over 5,000 business entities
Retailers Association of India (RAI), said that the prolonged closures of malls in Maharashtra due to Covid-19 has affected around two lakh jobs. It has asked the state government to allow them to operate with necessary safeguards.
Businesses and jobs in jeopardy
The retailer’s body on Wednesday said that the prolonged closures have had an impact on the estimated 50 malls in Maharashtra that employ more than 2 lakh people, which generates a business of about Rs 40,000 crore, and contributes Rs 4,000 crore in GST per month.
It has also affected all the businesses associated with the malls that have about 200 retail stores and over 5,000 business entities associated with it as suppliers and vendors. Restarting malls will help ensure the survival of this ecosystem, said RAI in a statement.
“It is important that the Maharashtra government considers reopening of formal retail spaces such as malls and shopping centres at the earliest as they are centres of significant economic activity,” Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO, Retailer’s Association Of India, said.
Taking examples from the Delhi and Haryana governments, which have reopened malls along with other markets, Rajagopalan said that the Maharashtra government has to replicate the same as this would help save jobs, businesses, and also pave the way for citizens to shop in a safe and sanitized environment.
Malls have the ability to handle crowds more efficiently and safely than markets and hence should be allowed to operate along with standalone shops and markets, he asserted.