The Hindu Business Line : Bengal working on new SSI policy

The West Bengal Government is working on a new policy and incentive package for small-scale industries (SSIs), according to Mr Manab Mukherjee, West Bengal's Minister for Cottage & Small Scale Industries & Tourism.

Addressing an `Industry institute partnership meet' organised by the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BNCCI) here on Monday, Mr Mukherjee said this follows a new law governing SSIs that has been recently passed by Parliament. "We will now have to review and restructure the existing policy and incentive package for SSIs," he said.

Partnerships

Mr Mukherjee highlighted the imperatives for partnerships between industry and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) but regretted that SMEs with meagre economic strength mostly found it difficult to access technology developed by institutes. Besides, SMEs had several problems to cope with. These include shrinkage in the list of items reserved for SSIs, exposure to international competition and WTO and environmental regulations. As such, the government must focus on a policy and incentive package that would facilitate SMEs' efforts to access technology developed by institutes.

"Let us try to form a platform where the government, chambers of commerce, industry, SMEs and institutes can converge to meet their specific requirements. Research undertaken by institutes must be oriented to meet the needs of industry," he said.

Platform for interaction

In her address, the President of BNCCI, Ms Nayantara Palchoudhuri, said the chamber was organising the partnership meet with a view to creating a platform for interaction between technology seekers and technology providers. "The chamber will play a catalytic role and also collect information on the needs of industry in the matter of technology as also for upgradation of existing technology and the same would be forwarded to the institutes so that they can help the industry suitably," she said.

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