Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today proposed allowing small and medium shops to open all through the week on a voluntary basis as part of the simplification of rules for the sector to create more jobs, a move hailed by retail players. In his Budget 2016-17 speech, Jaitley said the government plans to circulate Model Shops and Establishments Bill which the state governments can adopt on a voluntary basis in order to boost the retail sector, which is the largest service sector employer in the country.
"Many more jobs can be created in this sector, provided the regulations are simplified. If Shopping Malls are kept open all seven days of the week, why not the small and medium shops? These shops should be given the choice to remain open on all seven days of the week on a voluntary basis," he said. Jaitley, however, said the interest of the workers in terms of mandatory weekly holiday, a number of working hours per day have to be protected. "We propose to circulate a Model Shops and Establishments Bill which can be adopted by the state governments on a voluntary basis," he said.
Welcoming the announcement, Retailers Association of India CEO Kumar Rajagopalan said, "Permission for keeping stores open 365 days helps retailers increase sales, generates more employment, creates customer convenience and also increases tax collection for the government thanks to increased sales.
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