Centre to chart new policies for manufacturing sector

Chennai, Aug 10: Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath today said the government would give more thrust to the manufacturing sector, which had showed a tremendous growth from five per cent in 2001-02 to over nine per cent in 2005-06, by envisaging new strategies and policies.

Talking to newspersons here, the Minister said the aim of the government was to take the share of the manufacturing sector from 16 to 17 per cent of GDP to atleast 24 per cent by 2012 and 30 per cent by 2020.

He said the Centre would set up Manufacturing Investment Regions, a specialised area of over 100 sqkms with world class infrastructure and was also looking into the possibility of providing single window clearance facility and flexibility in labour laws within these investment regions.

He said the government had chalked out a massive programme of National Skill Development, the details of which were being worked out. The existing centres of excellence could then produce skilled manpower in larger numbers.

Apart from initiating new innovative Foreign Trade Policy (FTP), the government was also considering a National Offset Policy for procurement by government departments and government agencies, so that technology import incorporation both in SMEs and in larger industries becomes easier, he added.

UNI