The Central government will soon float the draft national retail policy to support small domestic traders and will put it on a public platform to seek views of stakeholders on it.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has completed consultations on the proposed policy, and is currently in the process of drafting it, according to sources.
“The main elements of the national retail policy will be promoting ease of doing business, licensing, direct selling, access to funds and matters related to hyper-markets. The policy will also focus on measures to promote the growth of the retail sector, increase in digital payments, and reducing the infrastructural bottlenecks,” they added.
The policy is expected to benefit about 6.5 crore small traders in the country. The draft retail policy will be put for public review. The state governments will also share their views on the draft retail policy as it falls under the ambit of Shops and Establishment Act, which is implemented by them.
The DPIIT, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, was charged with the responsibility of internal or domestic trade in February. The department is already in the process of formulating guidelines on e-commerce, said an official.