Kerala ready to welcome investors

Thursday, 12 October 2006, 19:30 IST
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Thiruvananthapuram: Determined to eliminate red-tapism and an investor-unfriendly tag, Kerala Industries Minister Elamaram Kareem and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) are getting ready to welcome 50 non-resident Kerala industrialists from abroad to invest in the state. "We will not be providing anything for free but we would act as the facilitator and provide all the help. The perception that Kerala is not investment friendly when it comes to labour is not true," Kareem told IANS Thursday. "After taking over what I have found is red-tapism spoils the atmosphere," the minister said. The 50 industrialists would be selected from a list the department has gathered, said the minister. "Already there is a task force, but I am requesting Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan to take up the initiative to see the coordination levels between departments are taken up earnestly. This would instil confidence in the investors," said Kareem. Kareem said as the first step to promote the state for investment, his department plans to showcase success stories of several industrialists here. "We are going to request them to speak about their experience. Among the other programmes, we are planning to bring in women to form clusters, especially in the electronic assembling and the food processing units," said the minister. The minister's announcement to revive the traditional handloom industry in the state has been already greeted with cheer. From the next academic year, students in government schools would wear handloom uniforms once in a week.
Source: IANS