Agro Based Plywood Industry be provided Loans & Advances interest free: PPMA

Ludhiana, June 11, 2015: Agro Based Plywood Industry which manufactures plywood with poplar / safeda Agro Wood be provided Loans & Advances interest free or at much less rates i.e. 4 or 5% p.a.interest for fast development.

Mr. Ashok Kumar Juneja, Chairman & Mr. Inderjit Singh Sohal, President, Punjab Plywood Manufactures Association (PPMA) expressed these views in the 123rd meeting of the Board of Governors of Indian Plywood Industries Research & Training Institute (IPRITI) held yesterday at UT Guest House, Chandigarh. In the said meeting Chairman Mr. Ashok Lavasa, IAS Secretary to Govt., MOEF & CC, D.N. Mohanty IFS, Director & Member Secretary BOG, IPRITI, Mr. Arun Kumar Bansal, IFS (Retd) Former Additional D.G. Forests MOEF & CC, Mr. R.K. Sapra, IFS, MD, Haryana Forest Development Corporation, Mr. SS Negi, IFS and other top officials of various state & central govt. departments highlighted that how agro based plywood industry & farmers in Punjab, Haryana & U.P. can progress at fast speed and how better price of agro wood can be paid to growers.

Mr. Juneja who is tax expert also & Mr. Sohal said that plywood industry is under great constraint due to burden of heavy taxes on it. e.g. VAT & Surcharge @14.30%, C.S.T @2%, Excise Duty @12.50% &Misc taxes @ 2%. They demand that till the GST is implemented the excise duty on plywood be abolished or reduced to 4% or 5% from 12.50%.

Mr. Juneja who is also Convenor, Economic Cell (BJP) (Punjab) & Ex Chairman Improvement Trust Ludhiana said he will talk to Jaitley on this issue.

Mr. Juneja said that no licences for new plywood units be granted being banned till the existing units progress well and work day & night. Government must act to bring boom in real estate business and infrastructural development for uplifting the plywood Industry economic development.

Mr. Mahesh Gupta, MD Shriram Plywood , Khanna said that the plywood industry will progress rise & grow the prices of poplar & safeda will automatically go up due to more demand of said forestry wood benefitting the farmers community who are part & parcel of Plywood Industry being grower.

Mr. NareshTiwari, President North India Plywood Manufacturers Association & Mr. Radhey Sham Maniktahla, President Haryana Plywood Manufacturers Association said to uplift plywood Industry, State & Centre should think for grant ofupgradation Fund and subsidy on the pattern as given to Textile sector & to Gujarat State spinning Industry.

All the officials promised to convey the ideas to Mr. Arun Jaitley and to other concerned ministers & high ups.