RAI seeks reopening of malls, shopping centers
Urges Maharashtra govt to protect 2 lakh employees engaged in retail sector
image for illustrative purpose
Retailers Association of India (RAI) on Wednesday said the prolonged closures of malls in Maharashtra due to Covid-19 have impacted around two lakh jobs and asked the State government to allow them to operate with necessary safeguards.
The closure has put the entire ecosystem that depends on the malls in serious jeopardy and is not only hurting businesses but also livelihoods of people working there, RAI said in a statement. "The prolonged closures have impacted the estimated 50 malls in Maharashtra that employ more than two lakh people, generate a business of (around) Rs 40,000 crore and contribute Rs 4,000 crore in GST, per month," the retailers' body said.
RAI further said, "It has also afflicted all the businesses associated with malls on an average, a mall has 200 retail stores operating in it and over 5,000 business entities associated with it as suppliers and vendors.
