GUWAHATI, July 10 � Sailen Baruah, the State president of North Eastern Small Scale Industries Association (NESSIA) has been inducted as a member in to six working groups constituted following recommendation of the Prime Minister�s Task Force on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and in the context of preparation of the Twelfth Five Year Plan 2012-2017.
The working groups have been constituted under various headings with specific Terms of Reference (TOR). Baruah's groups include �Credit and Institutional Finance�, �Skill Development and Training�, �Marketing and Procurement', 'Infrastructure�, �Khadi and Village Industries�, and �Programme for Special Areas and Groups.�
In the infrastructure working group meeting, Baruah said that Assam needed at least two industrial estates for MSEs in each district. �Out of that one should be earmarked for women entrepreneurs and micro sector industries. The renovation of the existing industrial estates to be entrusted to micro and small scale industries associations in collaboration with Commissioner of Industries with a view to overcoming actual problems faced by the entrepreneurs in the estates,� Baruah said in a statement.
The NESSIA also called for assisting the MSEs for adoption of new technologies through setting up of technology banks. �These are essential matters to be look into in the next five years. Cluster development is essential to boost MSMEs. The necessary infrastructure in cluster like warehousing, laboratories, training, marketing, exhibition hall, etc., should be developed,� he said.
Baruah suggested that the local MSME associations be taken into confidence by the local authorities in providing the infrastructural services to the industries. Normally most of the revenue is collected from the industries by way of various local taxes like property tax, water tax, fire tax, entry tax, etc.
�However, the amounts which are spent by these local authorities on the development or redevelopment or maintenance of the infrastructure in the industrial areas are very negligible. There should be a mandatory provision that at least they will spend 25 per cent of the total collection of the total taxes in the industrial areas for infrastructure purposes,� Baruah said.
In view of the fact that MSEs in the North-east have not been contributing significantly to industrial production, economic growth and employment, Baruah suggested that in order to sustain growth and face global competition, it was essential that the availability of industrial infrastructure including technology and skilled man power kept pace with the growth targets.
Baruah requested all the MSME enterprises to join hand with NESSIA and to send their valuable feedback.
