Bizmen hail public procurement policy | Ludhiana News

Ludhiana: A day after the Punjab government notified the Public Procurement (Preference to Make in Punjab) Order 2019, the city-based businessmen are in a jubilant mood.
The development comes as a breather for businessmen particularly in the wake of the ongoing recession.
Businessmen are of the view that the public procurement policy will open doors of new opportunities for them. However, businessmen are also demanding that the government should publicise the rules and regulations related to this policy at the earliest.
Upkar Singh Ahuja, president of the Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings (CICU), said: “We are thankful to the state government for implementing the public procurement order. This will give new opportunity and open new market avenues for the local manufacturers who are already facing difficulty to cope up with the slump. The government should now act promptly to issue guidelines about this policy at the earliest and it should also be ensured that the vendor registration process is made easier.”
Rajkumar Singla, president of the Fastener Supplier Association, said: “The public procurement policy which has now been approved can prove to be a gamechanger for the Punjab’s micro and small industries, especially the engineering products-related industry like fastener, hand tools etc. However, businessmen are not fully aware of the rules and regulations of this policy, therefore, we request the government to spread awareness about this policy in the state and conduct workshops for businessmen.”
Atul Saggar, apparel manufacturers’ association, said: “There is no doubt that the government has good intentions behind implementing this policy, but there are other aspects too which needs to be worked upon. Our suggestion to the state government is that the micro and small industries in Punjab should be exempted from the condition of earnest money deposit (EMD) and security for participation in all sorts of government tenders. The central government departments having offices in Punjab should also reserve a portion of their purchase to be procured only from manufacturers in Punjab.”