The Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi (KVVES) has demanded a separate department for retail trade in the State to enrich the sector, to protect existing jobs and to create new ones.
The Kozhikode North and South units of the Samithi, in a memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister at the Navakerala Sadas on Saturday, pointed out that it was essential to convert Kerala into a purchase destination and create an alternative Kerala model.
Listing difficulties faced by the retail sector, the Samithi requested the government to recommend the GST council and the Food Safety Authority to raise the GST registration and FSSAI licence limits to ₹2 crore. The Samithi also demanded the State to extend consideration given to the agricultural sector, small-scale industries, and start-ups to small-scale traders as well to enable them to avail bank loans at 4-6% interest.
