The Hindu Business Line : KCCI delegation to tour SAARC countries

THE Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry is taking a business delegation to neighbouring countries to explore business opportunities and promote exports in a big way.

As a first step, the delegation would visit some of the SAARC countries to provide opportunities to the businessmen in the State for a one-to-one discussion with their counterparts in those countries, the chamber President, Mr V.M. Liaquat Ali, said.

The globalisation and liberalisation has given ample impetus for the trade to expand its business territories beyond the frontiers. The chamber is also moving in this direction to help the business community in the State to find better avenues.

Referring to the investment climate prevailing in the State, Mr Ali said that the frequently occurring hartals had badly affected the economy of Kerala. Urging the political parties to take a joint decision to avoid hartals, he said the chamber has decided to convene a meeting of trade bodies to infuse self-confidence among the business community to tackle such menace.

The failure to attract projected investments from the Global Investor Meet is a matter of serious consideration. Various projects could not be taken up due to stiff resistance from political parties with vested interests.

The chamber, therefore, considered that the Express Highway is one of the projects that would lead to the overall development of the State.

To provide maximum publicity to this project, it was decided to initiate a programme to explain the merits of the project in different parts of the State with the co-operation of the local trade organisations.

The matter was discussed with the State Public Works Minister, Dr M.K. Muneer, and he has agreed to inaugurate the programme at a function to be held next month, Mr Ali said.

The chamber also urged the Education Minister to include the subjects related to business in the curriculum in the schools to inculcate interest in the minds of students towards business and business class.

For the last couple of years, one of the suggestions of the chamber for the pre-Budget discussions is to close the loss-making public sector units or to privatise them. Though the Government has accepted this in principle, it has not been implemented fully so far. The Government is running 110 odd loss making public sector units causing liability of crores of rupees towards wages and other benefits to the labourers.

Unless the Government takes stern decision to retrench the workers of loss-making units and settle their claim, Mr Ali said it would adversely affect the economic stability of the State.