Union minister of state for commerce and industry, Som Parkash, on Monday said that the Central Government will incorporate the opinions and suggestions of the stakeholders when a new industrial policy for the Northeast will be formulated.
The Minister said this at a stakeholders meeting of various industry associations at Assam Administrative Staff College in Guwahati.
In the meeting, industry associations like ICC, CII, FINER, FICCI, Laghu Udyog etc raised the issues and challenges like online registration, GST, subsidy, incentives, bank loans, import-export, custom duty on North East Industrial Scheme (NEIDS, 2017).
Minister Som Parkash assured the associations and business enterprises that their valuable suggestions would be considered in consultation with the finance ministry to the satisfaction of the industrialists while formulating the new policy.
He also added that a team from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry will visit the state shortly to have a first hand account of the constraints faced by the industrialists under NEIDS – 2017.
Assam industries and commerce minister Chandra Mohan Patowary thanked the MoS Som Parkash for giving a patient hearing during the free and fair brainstorming session.
Highlighting the contribution of tea in the economy of the country, minister Patowary asked Som Parkash to give tea sector its proper place in NEIDS.
Lauding the Prime Minister’s vision of Northeast as the new engine for India’s economic growth, minister Patowary said that a robust and effective NEIDS is the only way to boost industry and solve unemployment in the region.
He requested the ministry to depute adequate staff and upgrade the infrastructures at the four Land Custom Stations at Sutarkandi in Karimganj, Sahapara in Mankachar, Lakhimari in Golokganj and Darranga in Baksa, so that the fruits, vegetables and other perishable items can be exported from Assam to the neighbouring countries.
He also requested to include appropriate mechanism for expansion of the existing industrial units under NEIDS in the region.