Govt seized of local industry’s problems: Mehbooba

Appreciates local Inc for braving situations, says would do whatever is required for its growth

Industry leaders hail Govt for extending industry benefits to tourism, allied sectors

SRINAGAR, NOVEMBER 13: Saying that the Government is fully seized of the present difficulties of local industrialists, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti today said that all the stakeholders in this regard have to join together to move ahead.

Addressing a gathering of local industrialists here last evening, the Chief Minister said the State is proud of its business community which braved the hot and cold of last three decades or so and has been making efforts in employment generation and strengthening of local economy. She said not only the Government but the whole society stands with them as their issues are not the individual problems but those of the entire society.

Stressing the need on self sustenance, Mehbooba Mufti asked the business fraternity to ponder over the issues which have not led to the growth of a so successful enterprise from the State. She said her Government would all do whatever is required to support the local entrepreneurs but    added that the local industry should also come forward and remove the bottlenecks coming in their way of growth and progress. “Don’t let yourself suffer for no fault of yours. Already a bad message has been spread outside the State which my Government is trying to clear”, she said.

Asking the unit holders to be hopeful of an enterprising future, the Chief Minister asked the Minister for Finance to work out modalities for instilling confidence and hope among the local industrialists. Already, she said, many reformative steps, including Labour reforms, have been taken by her Government which have upped the State on the chart of Ease of Doing Business.

Enumerating the steps taken by her Government, Mehbooba Mufti said most of the commitments made to the business community of the State at the time of passing of GST Act have either been implemented or are being implemented. She said Jammu & Kashmir is the only State which commits to incentives even after the enactment of GST while asking the Finance Minister to work out the slashing of tax slab on carpets under the GST regime. She also asked him to revisit the Artisan Credit Card loan scheme and explore the possibility of how the artisan community could be given a relief.

In his address, Minister for Finance & Labour, Dr Haseeb A Drabu outlined the broad areas where the industry needs to work for sustaining itself on a long term basis.  He detailed the incentives and subsidies being provided by the Government for encouraging private sector to perform in the State while admiring the role of local business community during last so many years despite heavy odds.

The Finance Minister asked the industry leaders to look for future opportunities and invent mechanisms for tapping the same. He expressed concern over declining interest in the traditional arts and crafts of the State among the younger generation, terming it a cultural and social problem rather than a routine industry issue.

Earlier, representatives of local industry Mushtaq Ahmad Chaya, Muhammad Ashraf Mir, Mushtaq Burza, Muhammad Yaseen Khan, Khalid Hakeem, Showkat Choudhary and Iqbal Trumboo put their views about fast pacing the growth of local industry in the State. They also thanked the Chief Minister for extending industry benefits to tourism sector and other allied sectors in the State terming the move as historic.