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Indian operators enlist APTRA to drive regulatory change Indian operators enlist APTRA to drive regulatory change
Gavin Lipsith
3-Mar-2006
The Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association is to aid an Indian duty-free working group in lobbying for change in the country's regulatory regime
The Indian travel-retail industry is to seek the help of the Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association (APTRA) to lobby for changes to government regulations restricting the growth of the business. Following a presentation by APTRA president Rakhita Jayawardena at last month's India Duty Free Workshop in Cochin, retailers and suppliers have decided to work with the new regional association rather than establish a separate national entity to combat the issues discussed at the workshop.Retailers at the meeting, organised by Alpha Asia, vowed to work together to drive change. Problems cited included the lack of specific duty-free regulations, restrictions on local currency sales and high levies for airport space. Alpha's fellow retailers Flemingo International and India Tourism Development Corp (ITDC) also agreed that change was needed if the market was to reach its potential.
A working group of Indian operators, spearheaded by Alpha Asia managing director Paul Topping—a board member of APTRA—will be set up with the aim of drafting a position paper to explain its stance and seek a commitment to change from the government.
"This is an important issue to address," said Jayawardena, "and it is a vote of confidence in APTRA that the delegates to the India Duty Free Workshop have responded so positively to our presence that they would rather work with the association than form a separate entity to tackle the issues."
Parties in interested in participating in the India working group should contact Jayawardena on email: rakhita@centaurtravelretail.com or Topping on email: ptopping@alpha-group.com.
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