Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 26: The newly elected executive body of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) called on National Conference Working President Omar Abdullah at NC headquarters here today and highlighted various issues and challenges confronting the Valley’s business and traders’ community.
The meeting was also attended by NC general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar, Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani, senior leader Mubarak Gul, State spokesperson Junaid Mattu and others.
The KCCI executive body delegation comprised of senior vice president Nasir Hamid Khan, secretary general Dr Gazalla Amin, joint secretary general Muzaffar Majid Jan, treasurer Sheikh Imran Ahmed and others.
The members highlighted the challenges they are facing with the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the State and also briefed the NC president about the general economic slowdown that had severely impacted the business community. They also highlighted the unprecedented slowdown and recession in the tourism sector which is the backbone of the State’s economy and said the State’s economy was suffering due to the lack of a well-defined industrial and power-sector policy while underperforming or sick Public Sector Units (PSUs) had become white elephants incurring enormous negative costs on the State exchequer and consequently burdening the State’s economy.
The KCCI members also discussed various sector specific challenges especially in the manufacturing, handicrafts, handlooms, retail and tourism sectors and said there was an urgent and pressing need for initiatives which would come to the rescue of entrepreneurs, artisans and businesses that are operating in adverse economic circumstances since 2014 due to successive unproductive years.
Speaking on the occasion, Omar highlighted the deep and historic association between the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and National Conference that having been strengthened ever since.
“As a representative body of the business and traders’ community, it is your right, responsibility and duty to represent and highlight the issues and grievances of the business community in the Valley while striving for effective and sustainable solutions. Government should be open to your inputs and suggestions and incorporate them in policy decisions as you are the primary economic stakeholders in the State’s journey towards progress and growth. The business community has faced successive challenges in the past few years due to the 2014 floods, then the demonetisation issue and that was eventually compounded by the implementation of GST in the State and the unrest of 2016,” Omar said.
Omar said the State Government has a habit of giving false assurances that it could not and cannot implement. “It was this Government that criticized the Rs 44,000 crore flood relief package that the previous NC-led Government had proposed to the Central Government that consisted of specific relief measures including comprehensive debt relief and compensation. After criticizing that proposal, this State Government failed to get even a rudimentary flood relief package approved by the Central Government.
The NC leader assured the KCCI that National Conference would continue to highlight all issues of the business community.
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