The Hindu Business Line : Merchants chamber to set up panels on retail biz, employment

THE Merchants Chamber of Commerce has decided to set up two core committees comprising its own members on retail business development and promotion of employment intensive activities.

This was announced by Mr Aditya V. Agarwal, Director of Emami Group of Companies, who has recently taken over as President of the chamber.

He said the chamber would focus on five areas during the next year. These are retail business growth, internal trade policy, promotion of employment intensive activities, agricultural growth, including growth in the agro-processing sector, and beautification of parks and roads.

Addressing a press conference, he said the organised retail business in India had grown from Rs 5,000 crore in 1999 to Rs 30,000 crore in 2004. With the emergence of this sector, the traditional retailers were facing serious problems.

"Our retail business promotion group will try to create a strategy for traditional retailers and will try to bring them in sync with the emerging trends in the retail trade. We propose to start a short training programme for them," Mr Agarwal told newspersons.

Regarding internal trade, he said that it was facing problems relating to licences and permits, maintenance and filing of returns, taxes and institutional finance.

According to him, the West Bengal Government did not have any settled policy for the promotion and growth of internal trade.

He suggested that there should be a long-term policy for development of domestic trade and the creation of a separate directorate for overseeing it. He said the Delhi State Government was contemplating announcing such a policy framework.

The core committee on the promotion of employment-intensive activities would be created in collaboration with Kalyani Krishi Maha Vidyalaya, the Horticulture Society of India, IIT Kharagpur, Jadavpur University and the West Bengal Government.

"This committee would draw up an action plan for training budding entrepreneurs seeking bank finance and setting up new units," he said.

The Chamber also urged the West Bengal Government to withdraw the existing land ceiling act to facilitate faster growth of the agricultural and agri-business sectors. Mr Agarwal said corporatisation of the agricultural sector in the deficient and unproductive areas was needed.

More Stories on : Industry Associations | Retailing | Employment

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Sunset review investigation initiated on anti-dumping duty on sodium nitrite

Anti-dumping duty on lead acid battery imports to be discontinued

Poor response: E-auction is still not traders' cup of `tea'

Auto components, consumer electronic sectors worried — Thai FTA: Favourable tax regime sought

Merchants chamber to set up panels on retail biz, employment

Fuel cell trials show encouraging results

US telecom body charges VSNL with flouting WTO norms

Gold loan repayment norms for EoUs, SEZ units relaxed

APEDA stamp for meat exports mandatory