Draft Manipur industrial policy presented
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, April 15 2011: The latest industrial policy for Manipur was presented today as a draft for consideration by experts, entrepreneurs and the academia, at a workshop on 'Industrial Policy of Manipur, 2011' held Hotel Classic, North AOC.

The workshop was organized by the All Manipur Entrepreneurs' Association (AMEA) under the sponsorship of the State Department of Commerce & Industries.

The draft state industrial policy was the first of its kind envisaged by the government after a lapse of 15 years.

The comprehensive policy was drafted under the initiative of the Principal Secretary (Commerce & Industries), O Nabakishore, IAS.

O Nabakishore was the chief guest of the opening function of the workshop which was presided over by S Rishikanta, president of the AMEA.

V Tualthang, Director of Commerce & Industries attended as guest of honour in the opening function.

The draft policy was presented by A Kritikumar, AM (SSI), Department of Commerce & Industries at the technical session of the workshop.

The basic mission of the draft policy "The Industrial and Investment Policy of Manipur, 2011" presented today is to facilitate and create an investor-friendly environment, provisions for infrastructure and institutional support, adequate credit flow, attractive incentive packaging and optimum utilization of existing resources of opportunities in the national and international markets to generate substantial income and employment avenues for the people of Manipur.

The objective of the industrial policy, as mentioned in the draft policy, is to create conditions for a rapid industrial development and a conducive investment climate, to develop the state of art technology and infrastructure to ensure planned and accelerated industrial development.

To create a liberal environment for investors, to promote economic activities to ensure maximum capital investment in the state for increasing employment opportunities, improving the standard of living of people at large, to ensure all round development of the state, to accelerate a balanced development of the region/districts to prevent socio-economic distortions due to backwardness, to encourage establishment of manufacturing service sectors and clusters are some of the objectives of the draft policy.

Its objective also includes better development opportunities to scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, other backward classes, handicapped, and women to ensure their participation in the development process.

During the technical session of the workshop, expert Prof Dr Ch Priyoranjan of the MU Economic Department observed the need for an industrial mapping of Manipur so that the authority and industrial activists can easily find out the kind of industry being carried out in a particular area.

He said that such a policy must be formulated within a time frame and there will be the need for co-ordination from the other government departments to successfully implement the industrial policy.

Pointing out that the need for a marketing policy and the need to enter the South East Asian market, Prof Dr Elangbam Bijoy Kumar, Head of the Economic Department, MU, observed that subsidies and incentives to entrepreneurs should not be based on the all India pattern.

Local considerations should also be taken into account, he said.

He further emphasised the need to boost the tourism industry in the state and for more control on the legitimate Indo-Myanmar trade.

For this, government needs to contact and consult with academicians, Bijoy said.

While sharing his opinion, Dr Ch Ibohal Meetei, Director Manipur Institute of Management Sciences, MU, said education services should be treated as an industry.

A land bank was needed to know exactly where land is available for industrial purposes.

He also stressed on the need to have international class facilities for holding national and international trade fairs.

Dr Kh Palin, Managing Director of the Shija Research Institute and Hospital, sharing his view as a representative of the industrial organisation, urged to treat medical service as an export item saying that Myanmar can be the first market for exporting this item.

Visa on arrival will facilitate in exporting medical services, he added.

Dr Th Dhaballi, Managing Director Babina Diagnostic Centre appealed that the industrial draft policy include incentives for entrepreneurial units involving over one crore.

Dr L Sanatomba Meetei, lecturer of DM College of Commerce also shared his opinion in the technical session in which S Joykumar, Managing Director of MANIDCO, S Birendra, functional manager (H/C), Department of Commerce & Industries, L Dwjijamani, officer on special duty (EXIM and Border Trade) of the department, M Rajen, OSD (H/L), Ksh Shantikumar, OSD (investment) and L Orenkumar, consultant, attended as panel members.

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