Srinagar, Feb 15: In separate press statements, the Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) and the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry J&K chapter, have welcomed the decision taken by the Administrative Council (AC) for relaxation of pre-requisite 'no objection certificates' (NoCs) or approvals for setting up of a business unit in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to FCIK’s statement, a meeting of the administrative council of the FCIK was held under the chairmanship of its President, Shahid Kamili, in which the members “acknowledged the structural changes being made in the process of registration which are likely to help in laying a new foundation for creating long desired entrepreneurial-conducive atmosphere with slew of other aspired measures.”

The statement said that the members appreciated the decision with regard to separate committees for organised and unorganised sectors being constituted for grant of requisite approvals and NOCs post establishment of new units or in the event of any change taking place in the activities of existing units. "The creation of common facilities in an organised industrial estate like effluent treatment plants, water storage and distribution, sewage, drainage, power distribution systems will definitely make it convenient for the committee to grant NOCs and approvals in the shortest span of time,” the statement said.

"At the same time, it also needs to be ensured that units established in unorganised sectors are not subjected to complex formalities, causing them harassment on one or the other pretext," the FCIK statement further said.

It also said that regarding the Udyog Aadhar Memorandum and Udyam declaration form, the members observed a number of difficulties with the prescribed form which actually has been approved by Union Ministry of MSME for all enterprises across the country. The statement said that entrepreneurs have been given a choice to market or not to market their goods through GeM portal. “In case the entrepreneurs undertake to market goods through GeM, it would be near impossible for them to compete with their rivals operating from the most developed states yet their denial to the provision may lead them to marketing uncertainties. It would therefore be necessary for the LG's government to first sort out marketing issues as per the aspirations of local entrepreneurs and seek amendments in the Udyam declaration accordingly,” it added.

It also added that the FCIK requested the LG and his Advisor for “issuing instructions to the I & C department, ministry of MSME, Finance etc. for conducting joint awareness programmes across the valley starting with the Executive Council of FCIK.”

In another statement, the Chairman PHDCCI –Kashmir, Baldev Singh Raina and Chairman of the Jammu chapter, Rahul Sahai welcomed the decision taken by the Administrative Council (AC) for relaxation of pre-requisite 'no objection certificates' (NoCs) or approvals for setting up of a business unit in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the press statement, the PHDCCI-J&K said that it has been demanding this measure for some time and that it was a “welcome step”.

The statement said that NoCs or clearances that were previously required for setting up a business unit in Jammu and Kashmir have now been reduced to a bare minimum, and that this would create a business friendly environment in J&K.

The statement added that the Chamber had been advocating for the implementation of all 372 points of Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP) by DIPP-GOI since long, and that the chamber welcomes the government’s approach “in dealing with this and working for improving the ranking of J&K in ease of doing business.”

The statement further added that by taking this step, the government had shown that it is “determined to act with urgency and impact both, to keep the environment conducive for investments and also to mitigate the economic hardship and demands of the business community.”

“PHDCCI-J&K also supports the government’s approach to start the various relief and reform measures with the bottom of the pyramid, as they are the ones who need it most urgently both in urban and rural India,” the statement said.

“The recent announcements and decisions by the Lieutenant Governor gives us confidence that the UT Government, in the stage of its tenure, will surely make a resolute effort to get maximum key reforms that will open doors towards progress, harmony, increased investment and generation of employment in Jammu & Kashmir,” it added.