FHRAI, HRAWI and HAI felicitate Aaditya Thackeray for Maha Govt.’s progressive decision towards industry

India’s apex Hospitality Association – Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) along with its regional Association representing Western India – Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) and the Hotel Association of India (HAI) felicitated Aaditya Thackeray, Minister of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra earlier in this week. The Associations jointly organised the occasion to formally appreciate the Maharashtra Government’s progressive disposition towards Hospitality and Tourism in the State. The Associations applauded the Government for its decision of granting Industry Status for Hospitality and commended its commitment towards Ease of Doing Business for enterprises in the State. The Association also felicitated Smt. Valsa Nair, Principal Secretary, Tourism & Excise, Government of Maharashtra for her proactiveness and for her help and support to the Industry.

“We are thankful to the Hon’ble Chief Minister – Shri Uddhav Thackeray for backing and encouraging enterprise in Hospitality. The biggest win for the sector was the Government’s recent announcement of according Industry status to Hospitality which had remained a promise on paper for over 20 years. We thank the young and dynamic Minister of Tourism – Shri Aaditya Thackeray for granting Industry status for Hospitality and for reduction of licenses from 70 to 10. We appreciate the Government’s commitment and efforts for tying up the loose ends where required. We also thank Smt. Valsa Nair for her proactiveness and for standing with us and supporting the Industry. Without her help all these could not have been achieved. With such progressive and industry-friendly policies, Maharashtra leads in Tourism efforts and sets the benchmark for other States to follow,” says Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, VP, FHRAI.

Effective 1st April 2021, the Hospitality industry will be levied tariffs and duties on electricity, water, property, development and non-agricultural taxes at industrial rates.

“The then Government of Maharashtra had issued a Government Resolution (GR) dated 7th April 1999 conferring Tourism Sector the ‘Status of Industry’ but it was never implemented. The HRAWI requested the State Government to act on long overdue resolution, especially in the post-COVID19 period and the Government obliged. This, at a time when hotel and restaurant businesses are severely hit, has come as a big relief for the Hospitality industry,” says Mr Sherry Bhatia, President, HRAWI.

The Associations expressed their appreciation of the Government’s resolve to create an Ease of Doing Business environment. Last year, the Maharashtra Government brought down the number of licenses from 70 to 10 and, 70 separate application forms were reduced to 8. Recently, the Government also agreed to waive off the excise license fee on pro-rata basis along with the roll-back of the 15 per cent annual fee increase for the year 2020.

“The Maharashtra Government has walked the talk on several occasions. Ease of Doing Business for the Hospitality sector is another such instance where the Maharashtra Government heard us out, agreed with us and reciprocated by slashing the number of licences required to start a new business or operate an existing one. We also believe that it is Shri Aaditya Thackeray’s vision for Tourism in the State that has given the sector the much needed impetus. The new policy also replaced the need for obtaining NOCs from various departments with self-certification by establishments. These reforms came right after the lockdown was lifted and has encouraged many businesses sustain and also a few to start anew in the post-COVID19 phase,” concludes Pradeep Shetty, Sr. VP, HRAWI & Jt. hon secretary, FHRAI.