Kerala - Kochi   

Commerce Department to be strengthened

Staff Reporter

It will take care of the interest of the State

KOCHI: Minister for Industries Elamaram Kareem has said the State Commerce Department will be strengthened to take care of the interest of Kerala.

The Minister was inaugurating the first exhibition and sale of products from industrial clusters in the State at the Ernakulam Town Hall on Thursday. He said the Commerce Department would be made more professional to take up issues that mattered the State most with the Union Government before any policy was adopted. This would help the State and its industry in the liberalised environment to face competition, he said.

He said the process of strengthening the Commerce Department was on and that it would help the State's interests significantly.

He said that various chambers of commerce and industry showed interest in the proposed permanent exhibition and trade centre in Kochi. Mr. Kareem said the chambers showed interest in locating a spot for the trade centre and forming part of the promotion of the project.

He said Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh asked the State Government to submit a project report and to identify a private partner to set up the facility that would help showcase Kerala's export potential.

The Minister said the clusters were a way to face the severe challenges posed by globalisation and competition as he congratulated those responsible for implementing the idea of cluster-based development of industries.

Thirty-two industrial clusters were participating in the three-day show inaugurated on Thursday. The show was being organised by the Kerala Bureau of Industrial Promotion. Plastic products, textiles, handcrafted items; food and herbal medicines were part of the show.

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