The Hindu Business Line : New CII President outlines 8-point agenda for growth

The President of CII, Mr Sunil Kant Munjal, with the Director-General, Mr N. Srinivasan, addressing a press conference in the Capital on Monday. — Ramesh Sharma

New Delhi , June 21

THE newly appointed President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Mr Sunil Kant Munjal, on Monday outlined an eight-point agenda for the Government so that the country could achieve a sustained eight per cent growth in gross domestic product (GDP).

The agenda urges the Government to focus on various issues such as rural economy, manufacturing and services sectors, the development of infrastructure and global trade.

"The Government should look at rural housing, develop a farm policy based on private-public partnership and provide incentives for corporate involvement in agricultural production and processing, besides ensuring strong rural connectivity to help farmers market their produce more effectively to get maximum returns," Mr Munjal said.

As regards the manufacturing sector, the CII has said that the stress should be on making domestic companies globally competitive by providing world-class infrastructure and reducing transaction costs. In this context, the chamber has recommended that the Government focus on sectors of high potential growth, including synthetic textiles, drugs and pharmaceuticals.To give a fillip to the small and medium enterprises, the chamber has suggested that the Government look at revamping the financing system, consider enacting the Small Industries Development Bill and come up with a clear definition of the small, medium and tiny sectors, keeping in mind the changed scenario.

The urgency for dealing with infrastructure, catalysing much higher investment and bringing about effective public-private partnership as also the need of having a transparent regulatory and legal framework has also been stressed.

In the services sector, the CII has said that there should be an effective mechanism for training, re-training and providing professional education to the people.

The CII President also announced the setting up of six new focussed task forces to look into issues connected with education, energy, health, rural economy, tourism and water. Also, six new services, including logistics advisory service, advisory policy for small and medium enterprises, composite competitive services for SMEs and green building advisory services will also be launched during the year.

In addition, CII will look at opening five new offices abroad in countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey and South Korea, and seven offices within the country.

Later, answering questions, Mr Munjal said that the CII had proposed a five per cent cess on railway passengers so as to create a Railway regulatory authority.

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