Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 15 October 2024
The Department of Industries, Andaman & Nicobar (A&N) Administration, in collaboration with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) from New Delhi, successfully conducted a comprehensive one-day Workshop-cum-Meeting focused on the Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP) 2024 and strategies to minimise Regulatory Compliance Burden (RCB). The event took place o 14th October 2024, in the Conference Hall of the Department of Industries in Middle Point.
Dr. Bhuvnesh Pratap Singh, IAS, Deputy Secretary of DPIIT, served as the chief guest, accompanied by senior officials from DPIIT and Invest India, New Delhi. The workshop was graced by notable attendees including Dr. Satyendra Singh Dursawat, IAS, Secretary (Industries) of A&N Administration, Mr. Abhishek Bhukal, GM and Director (Industries) of DIC, and Mr. Sushil Kumar, Under Secretary of DPIIT. Representatives from various industrial and business associations, along with nodal officers from multiple line departments of the A&N Administration, were present to engage in the discussions.
Expressing his delight, Dr. Bhuvnesh Pratap Singh highlighted the recent accolade received by the Union Territory (UT) of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, which was honoured as the “Top Achiever in Two Citizen Centric Reform Areas” in the BRAP 2022 rankings. He emphasized the importance of streamlining regulatory frameworks and fostering an investor-friendly environment to align with the Government of India’s Ease of Doing Business initiative. “It is imperative that the line departments under the UT Administration continue to innovate and simplify processes to attract and retain investors,” he stated.
Dr. Satyendra Singh Dursawat opened the session by detailing the UT’s efforts under the Reduction of Compliance Burden (RCB) initiative. He outlined the rationalization of 50 business and industry-centric services and 32 citizen-centric services through simplification, digitization, and reduction of documentary requirements. Additionally, the administration has undertaken a thorough review of existing Acts, Rules, and Regulations to decriminalize minor offenses where feasible. Dr. Dursawat also announced the soft launch of 30 online services and 68 “Know Your Approvals” features on the National Single Window System (NSWS) portal, enhancing accessibility and efficiency for stakeholders.
The technical agenda featured a presentation by Ms. Divyani, Manager of NSWS at Invest India, who provided an in-depth overview and a live demonstration of the NSWS portal. Mr. Dharmendar Kumar from DPIIT delivered a session on minimizing regulatory compliances, followed by Mr. Ankur Vatsa of DPIIT, who presented on the Business Reform Action Plan 2024 and engaged participants in an interactive discussion.
During the interactive segment, members of industrial and business associations raised several pertinent questions, including inquiries about the tariff rates of industrial estates. These concerns were addressed constructively, with participants also contributing valuable suggestions tailored to the current industrial landscape.