Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal expressed concerns regarding the lack of industry engagement with the National Single Window System (NSWS) and the Industrial Land Bank initiatives.
Addressing the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) national conference on ease of doing business, Goyal stressed the importance of industry feedback in improving these platforms, which aim to streamline processes for obtaining approvals and licenses.
“The National Signal Window that we have created needs input from all of you…. without which I am almost inclined to abort the idea. The choice is now with you. If you feel that you are not interested in it, I am spending a lot of money on it, and I have come to a stage where I am almost inclined to abort the entire idea.,” Goyal said, urging industry representatives to utilise the system and provide feedback.
The minister reiterated his commitment to ease of doing business and emphasised the need for collaborative efforts between the government and industry to ensure the success of these digital initiatives.
The National Single Window System was soft launched to the public on the 22nd of September 2021 by the Union Minister Piyush Goyal. Currently, Investors can apply for approvals from 27 Central Ministries/Departments and 19 States/UTs on the portal.
The portal is envisioned as a one-stop shop for investors to take all the regulatory approvals and services related to investments.
The minister highlighted the rapid growth of the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal and its transformational impact on government procurements. Goyal said the GeM is set to achieve a record procurement volume exceeding Rs 6 lakh crore this year.
“GeM, the Government e-Marketplace, was launched about six to eight years ago, and it has been growing by leaps and bounds,” Goyal said.
The minister noted that in the last financial year, the platform facilitated government procurement worth approximately Rs 4 lakh crore. This year, the figure is expected to surpass Rs 6 lakh crore by year-end, he added.
The minister also shared that Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has been engaged through a transparent bidding process to revamp the GeM portal. The goal is to make the platform more user-friendly, technologically advanced, and efficient for purchasing goods and services.
“TCS is now re-looking at GEM, how to make it easier, how to make it more contemporary, how to provide ease of operating the system and buying goods and services through that system” Goyal added.
(with inputs from ANI)
