Federation of Retailer Association of India (FRAI), a representative body of about 4 crore micro, small and medium retailers selling soft drinks, mineral water, biscuits, cigarette and paan, bidi from across India, has appealed to the Prime Minister to allow their members to open their shops. It has also sought financial relief from the government.
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Ram Asre Mishra, President, FRAI, said “We would humbly like to appeal to the Prime Minister to kindly empathise with the hardships being faced by our poor and helpless individual members and allow them to open their shops immediately.”
“We also appeal to the Prime Minister to immediately announce an economic package to compensate the losses of the petty retailers in their daily income under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana announced by the Government,” he said.
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“While big grocery shops selling essential commodities are allowed to operate during the lockdown, why should our small shopkeeper brothers, who also sell similar goods of daily public needs, be deprived of earning their livelihood,” Mr Mishra asked.
He said these individuals and their families are now facing certain poverty and survival challenges.
“All the capital of these poor retailer is tied up in the stocks of essential products which are remaining unsold in their shops because of the lockdown, they are now having to dip into small savings to survive in order to purchase food to support their family members,” he said.
“Most of our individual members have now depleted their entire savings and are on the verge of starvation,” he added.
FRAI members sustain their livelihood by selling goods of daily needs like biscuits, soft drinks, mineral water, cigarettes, bidi and paan in the neighbourhood.
The profit of these micro retailers in selling these products is about ₹15,000 per month.
“The closure of such shops during the current lockdown on account of Coronavirus has completely stopped the daily inflow of the petty retailers’ income,” FRAI said.
