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  Traders oppose draft trade policy

Traders oppose draft trade policy

AGE CORRESPONDENT
Published : Feb 20, 2016, 12:59 am IST
Updated : Feb 20, 2016, 12:59 am IST

The Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA) has opposed Maharashtra’s recently announced Retail Trade Policy, terming it one-sided and favouring only four per cent of the organised se

The Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA) has opposed Maharashtra’s recently announced Retail Trade Policy, terming it one-sided and favouring only four per cent of the organised sector. The state unveiled the Retail Trade Policy during the recently concluded ‘Make In India’ Week in Mumbai.

According to Viren Shah, president of FRTWA, the state’s new Retail Trade Policy is nothing new from what was drafted by the Retailers’ Association of India (RAI). The RAI had moved the retail draft proposal to survive against the competition from online players.

“By making such a draft, RAI forgot the interest of the unorganised sector and made a one-sided suggestion to get extra benefits from the government. FRTWA, along with other retail organisations, strongly opposes any such one-sided move,” said Mr Shah.

“During a meeting with top government officials, we raised our demand that the policy should be for all retail operations — organised and unorganised. Many points that we had suggested have been considered in the policy. However, many areas where malls receive exclusive benefits have also been granted in the policy. This is in favour only of the organised sector,” added Mr Shah.

Subhash Desai, industries minister advocated the Retail Trade Policy and said that he has considered suggestions of retailers, as well as the unorganised sector, while approving the policy.

Highlighting the positives of the draft policy, Mr Shah said that the overall retail policy would be beneficial for employment, women’s empowerment, farmer empowerment, abolition of inspector raj, no fees or permission for trade name on board, one-window clearance, self-certification, online registration, and said the FRTWA welcomed these points.

He said, “We disagree with the one of the objectives of the policy that hopes to strengthen the unorganised small retailers to face globalisation. The policy will strengthen mall culture, which constitutes only four per cent of the organised sector and all benefits of the new policy will go to them.”

The policy will allow 15 per cent additional FSI for development of retail and shopping centres, the 30-metre height restriction has been removed for multiplex and auditorium buildings, while change of plan like converting retail shops into restaurants or entertainment places or vice versa internally within malls, relaxing parking norms for malls and allowing extra free FSI for more parking are points that prove the policy would be more beneficial to the organised sector, said Mr Shah.