Mumbai: Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Association urges CM U Thackeray to ease curbs for sustenan

By Rons Bantwal
Bellevision Media Network

Mumbai, 01 Feb 2022: A delegation of Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Association, Maharashtra met CM Uddav Thackeray, here on Monday, January 31 and presented a memorandum in order ease the curbs in running their hotel industry.

 

The memorandum stated that the restrictions imposed presently are akin to a lockdown and the business in hotels and restaurants is less than 30 percent in all major locations in Maharashtra. The present situation causes extensive damage to the hotel industry and it would take nothing less than 5 years for the hotel industry to return to the pre-pandemic levels. It’s imperative on the hotel industry to have an environment conducive for business to be able to sustain.

 

However, frequent lockdowns and restrictions have resulted in the industry experiencing the worst phase in its life cycle. Every time the situation eases a bit, there seems to be some hope of getting the business back on track. But the stop—start-stop arrangement has not allowed the hotel industry to have continuous run. The current situation is having a cascading impact on the employment sector as well. It’s forcing the owners to think of closing the restaurants permanently without government support, because significant capital has been pumped in by the hotel industry to reopen and start operations. Also there has been a lot of efforts to bring back workers.

 

 

They urged the state administration:

•         To waive excise fees at least for 2022-23

•         To reduce GST from 5 percent to 2 percent

•         To recognise hotel industry as industrial unit in granting relief in excise bills

•         To abolish liquor permits to consumers

•         To ban liquor sale on roadside Dabbas

•         To instruct excise department to collect VAT from distilleries and breweries

•         To abolish profession tax

 

Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Association Maharashtra president Virar Shanker Shetty, general secretary Durgaprasad C Salian and other office bearers were present.