Ensure ease of doing business at Vizhinjam port: Governor P Sathasivam
Thiruvananthapuram: Governor P. Sathasivam on Monday suggested the government to ensure ease of doing business at upcoming Vizhinjam Port.
He was speaking at a conference on industrialisation and community development-leveraging Vizhinjam organised by CII Thiruvananthapuram Zone here.
Port-based pollution and the threat of depletion of coastline are other areas to be seriously addressed. The port operators must be a model in ensuring green protocol in as many areas as possible.
He said a 650-km coastal highway is under construction and the government was addressing the long-standing demand for augmenting the fishing harbour.
"A new facility will soon be ready. I hope that the Seafood Park planned for value addition will also bring a qualitative change in the life of the coastal communities," said Justice Sathasivam.
"About 95 per cent of India's merchandise trade by value and 70 per cent by volume are through seaports. Yet, we have a long way to go to ensure the best ports and logistics infrastructure, since we had been allowing only one per cent of our GDP for the development of port infrastructure, while the Railways get a share of nine per cent and roads over six per cent."
He lauded the new Industrial and Commercial Policy, the Kerala Investment Promotion and Facilitation Act 2017, Amendment to Kerala Building Rules, Simplified forms for clearances and connection to utility services, the Kerala Single Window Interface for Fast and Transparent Clearance (K-SWIFT) and the decision to facilitate a Kerala Investment Promotion and Facilitation Cell.
"It is gratifying to note that in tune with the National Perspective Plan which seeks to reduce export-import and domestic trade costs, the State Government has also launched a major initiative for the development of Auxiliary facilities for this Port," he said.
"The State Budget for 2019-20, has rightly included the construction of ring-roads, and an allied growth corridor that consists of a chain of new townships, knowledge hubs and industrial areas."
