NEWS | HRAWI Petitions To The Govt. For Timing Extension For Hotels And Restaurants In The State
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HRAWI Petitions To The Govt. For Timing Extension For Hotels And Restaurants In The State
Mumbai, September: The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) has submitted a representation to the Hon’ble Chief Minister - Shri Uddhav Thackeray, Hon’ble Chief Secretary - Shri Sitaram Kunte (IAS) and to the Hon’ble Environment, Tourism and Protocol Minister - Shri Aditya Thackeray requesting for an extension of operation timings for hotels and restaurants in the State. The Association has recommended restoring the operation timings of hotels and restaurants as per the license held by establishments, on all days of the week from Monday through Sunday. It has also requested the Government offers relaxation on the condition that restaurant staff be fully vaccinated for resumption of operations.
The Association has stated that since October 2020, restaurants in Maharashtra were allowed to operate under restrictions at 50 per cent capacity with restrictions on timings. But the second wave of the pandemic led to another complete lockdown and later more severe restrictions were imposed on restaurants.
“The rental and salary expenses, servicing of old debts, negative cash flows, and the statutory payment obligations have made running a hotel or restaurant a most unviable and unsustainable business under the present situation; and all its revival efforts have gone down the drain. However, things are looking up for the State with around three crores of its population having received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and the number of new cases is steadily on the decline. Under the circumstances, we request the Government to take immediate measures to restore economic activities in the State and help its citizens to come out of the huge financial losses they have suffered during the last 18 months. For businesses such as restaurants, the curtailed timings of 7am to 10pm is just not viable so we request the Government to restore the timings of restaurants to the operation timings as per the license timings of each establishment on all days of the week,” says Mr Sherry Bhatia, President, HRAWI.
Amongst all the sectors, the hospitality sector in the country has taken the biggest hit due to the pandemic. Business came to a complete standstill after the lockdown came into effect. As of today, 30 per cent of hotels and restaurants in the country have shut down permanently due to financial losses. Over 20 per cent of hotels and restaurants still haven’t opened fully and the remaining 50 per cent are running in losses with revenues below 50 per cent of the pre-COVID19 levels.
“The present timings for restaurants from 7am to 10pm do not complement this business. This is only adding to the losses caused due to the two lockdowns. We recommend that the Government allows hotel and restaurants to revert to the pre-pandemic timings through the week. This will not only benefit restaurants but it also will promote staggered venturing out of the public. Other than this, we also request the Government to be considerate and provide hotels and restaurants relaxation on the condition that the staff be fully vaccinated for resuming operations. We request that the Government allows hotels and restaurants to undertake the pending vaccinations if any, in a gradual manner. We are sure that these positive measures would immensely benefit the people of Maharashtra to come out of the huge economic turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” concludes Mr. Pradeep Shetty, Sr. Vice President, HRAWI.
About Hotel & Restaurant Association Western India (HRAWI)
The Hotel and Restaurant Association (Western India) is a 71 years old Association of Hotels and Restaurants in Western India. Its members include various restaurants and smaller Hotels up to 5-Star Deluxe categories. The bulk of its members like any growth economy are made up of restaurants and budget hotels. With membership base spread across Western India, HRAWI covers Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa and the Union Territories of Daman, Diu & Silvassa, and is considered to be the voice of the Hotel and Restaurant Industry. The association is part of the national body of Federation of the Hotels & Restaurants Associations of India (FHRAI), located in New Delhi, which was originally founded in Mumbai in 1950 by the late Mr J.R.D. Tata.
