Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 18: The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) today strongly projected the issues of manufacturers and artisans of Kashmir.
The KCCI today held an interaction with Mehmood Shah, Director Industries & Commerce and Masrat-Ul-Islam, Director Handicrafts & Handloom, Kashmir and the stakeholders from the Industries and Handicrafts sector and discussed the issues.
President, KCC&I Sheikh Ashiq Ahmad raised the problems faced by manufacturers and artisans dealing with handicrafts. He said post August, 2019, this sector suffered huge losses and being highly labour intensive sector, the artisans were the main sufferers. To mitigate the sufferings of artisans and weavers, he stressed upon the need to extend benefits to this sector on the lines of Government constituted Constructive Workers Development Board and recognising artisans an weavers under the category of skill labour. The president also urged the Government for creating Handicraft Export Promotion Council. It was also suggested that handicrafts manufacturers and artisans be recognised as MSME units on the pattern of Orissa Government MSME (Handicraft) Policy.
Exporters and manufacturers of Handicraft products raised the issue of lack of marketing support from the Government and not declaring handicraft units as MSME units. They suggested the urgent need of intervention by the Government to purchase stocks from post August, 2019 & post lockdown period to mitigate the suffering and revival of Handicraft activity. Stocks worth more than Rs 500 crores were reportedly lying unsold in the handicrafts sector and Governmental intervention for lifting them was demanded. Sheikh Ashiq stated that this issue would be taken up with the Lt Governor, chief secretary and Principal Secretary Finance to find a way of unburdening the stakeholders.
The stakeholders said that they faced problems in domestic and international exhibitions regarding allotment of spaces. They demanded that the Government should allot spaces to the KCC&I who would further facilitate their participation. Representatives of Papier Machie Artisans sought their involvement in Papier Machie work allotted by the Government especially at religious places.
The Chamber stressed the need of creating self help groups/societies with adequate Financial assistance from the Government for upliftment of Handicraft sector. The stakeholders stated that charging of GST on handicrafts had adversely affected production and marketing of this sector.
Director, Handcrafts & Handloom, Masrat-Ul –Islam expressed his view on evolving mechanism for obtaining Udyog Adhar Card for facilitating Handicraft producers to qualify as MSME Units with involvement of Administration. He also raised necessity of establishing craft development parks to promote world famous Kashmiri Craft.
Mehmood Shah informed that with new classification of MSME, maximum units shall come under category of MSME including handicraft units and what is needed is registration under Udyog Adhaar Card. He also asked stakeholders to get involved in establishing Common Facility Centres for different Handicraft products.
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