KASSIA appeals FM to include Karnataka in RAMP programme phase 1 rollout

Bengaluru, Feb 22 (KNN) The Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association (KASSIA) has urged Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman to extend the initial rollout of the RAMP Programme in Karnataka along with the five ‘first mover’ states viz Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Rajasthan.

Delivering the budget speech, the Finance Minister had announced an outlay of Rs 6000 crore for the Racing & Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) program which will be rolled out over 5 years for MSMEs to become more efficient.

Addressing the appeal, P. Shashidhar, Administrator, KASSIA said, “Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) programme, which is a World Bank-supported project, aims to provide Covid-hit MSMEs access to funds and capacity-building, and Karnataka, as the national hub for machine tools industry and home to Peenya, south-east Asia’s largest industrial extension, has one of the largest number of micro and small scale enterprises, and therefore should be among the first of the states to implement the programme.”

As per feedback available from MSMEs in the state, 20 per cent of the micro and small enterprises have either closed down or are on the verge of closure, unable to face up to the multiple challenges they have had to face in the pandemic environment, he said.

KASSIA has reached out to the Centre not to delay the rollout of the Raising and Accelerating MSME Programme in Karnataka, otherwise there will be a bigger problem of industry and job losses to contend with in the coming future.  (KNN Bureau)