PANAJI
While most of the community had the privilege to work from home it was the retailers and distributors that rose to the call of the duty of supplying essentials to the public by ensuring the last mile delivery of essentials to the people goes uninterrupted. However, it has been noticed that these are left to fend for themselves with no acknowledgement or support from policy makers. Pointing out to this fact, the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), has appealed to the government to recognise the retailers and wholesalers, as frontline warriors and give priority for their vaccination.
GCCI president Manoj Caculo, in a letter to the Chief Minister of Goa, Pramod Sawant has stated that it is heartening to see several unsung heroes from retail and distribution sector, contributing equally to help the society in these testing times, even if it means to risk their own lives and to brave the logistic hardships, and work at odd hours.
Caculo points out that the retailers also have to pay rent, taxes, electricity bills, license fees etc during shutdown, lockdown or trimmed business hours with no dispensation provided. Despite being SME they are unable to benefit from any schemes or relief packages extended for MSME and hence left high and dry.
“The size of the retail segment in India is almost $ 854 billion with 1.5 million stores across the country. Together they employ 46 million people which sustains the livelihood of 250 million Indians. These numbers can estimate our contribution to the state of Goa. Retail is also one of the largest employers second to agriculture and it is the most inclusive employing people of all ages, skills levels, education and economic background,” states GCCI president.
Unlike industries these Last Mile Workers (LMWs) meet on an average about 50 to 100 customers (citizens) a day and have high chance of getting infected as they cannot exercise stringent Covid SOPs due to the variance of the consumers attitude and also due to the limited manpower at their disposal which directly contributes to the risk factor, points out GCCI letter.
The entire retail supply chain has multiple handshakes as goods move from manufacturer to the distributors then to the retailers and finally the end customer. Therefore, we request you to recognise the retail and distribution workers as front-line warriors and to vaccinate them on priority so that they serve risk free and contribute towards breaking the chain.
