Chambers of commerce to jointly submit demands to Governments

Representatives of more than 10 chambers of commerce in the State, from as many cities, have decided to make joint demands to the State and Central Governments, so that Tamil Nadu is again a favourite destination for investments.

This was decided at a meeting organised here on Saturday by the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore.

According to a press release from the organisers of the meeting, in the rating for ease of doing business Tamil Nadu has been ranked 18th, though it was in the 12th position in the previous rating.

The meeting here on Saturday was organised to discuss the vital issues that affect the economy of the State and to look at long-term impact of GST, demonetisation, labour management, infrastructure needs, etc.

Vanitha Mohan, president of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore, told presspersons that this was a platform not only to discuss issues related to trade and industry but also those that will help overall development of the State. “We need to see how we can get back to the top position in ease of doing business,” she said.

According to S. Rathinavel, senior president of the Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Madurai, small and medium-scale businesses are those that generate employment and the focus will be on these units. Industries need at least six months to get a mandatory approval. If there is a single window system, it will help the units get clearances soon.

Similarly, every region in the State requires infrastructure development. The needs of each area will be studied and submitted to the Governments - State and Central. Some of the other areas that need focus are development of waterways that can be used for transport of goods and measures to increase profits in agriculture sector so that more number of youngsters are attracted to it.

Regarding demonetisation and GST, he said the chambers welcome the efforts taken by the Government. “Every one knows that the problems faced because of demonetisation are temporary. For GST, we will approach the Government jointly to address issues that are a matter of concern to us,” he said.