New Delhi, Feb 7 (KNN) The State Government of Gujarat has amended the Gujarat Shops and Establishment Act and the amended bill will be presented in the upcoming assembly session, starting February 18.

The announcement was made by Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel on Wednesday after a cabinet meeting.

Welcoming the move, CEO of Retailers Association of India (RAI), Kumar Rajagopalan said “This is a progressive move by the State Government that will certainly enable 'Ease of Doing Business' for retailers in the State of Gujarat. It will also support small retailers and increase employment.”

He said that the Model Bill is a progressive move by Narendra Modi Government, since it enables states to choose to keep shops and other such establishments open 24×7 all through the year.

This would give a substantial boost to employment generation and will also benefit the consumers in terms of more convenience and accessibility.

Retailers Association of India (RAI) has been pursing all the State Governments to adopt the Model Bill. The State Government of Maharashtra has already adopted the Model Bill and introduced the Maharashtra Shops and Establishment Act 2017. 

The Central Government introduced 'The Model Shops and Establishment (Regulation of Employment and Condition of Services) Act 2016 (hereinafter referred as The Model Bill) on June 29, 2016 which has been one of the key asks of the RAI for the overall benefit and the growth of the Indian retail sector.

The key reforms in the Act are as under which are in line with recommendations by RAI in the proposed Gujarat Retail Trade Policy:

  -- 1.    Retailers having less than 10 employees should not be required to register under the Shops and Establishment Act. A simple letter informing the commencement date of the business, the address of the business, and the nature of business would be sufficient.

  -- 2.    Retailers do not need to renew the store license annually.  The Act proposes only one-time permission.

  -- 3.    Shops and establishments can be kept open 24x7, subject to compliance of appropriate conditions.

Other reforms suggested by Retailers Association of India (RAI) include empowerment of women by allowing flexible working hours for women, and allowing part-time employment in retail.